


Separate Lives

by shannyfish



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Parent Trap Fusion, Camp Walden, F/M, Gen, London, Mackenzie Queen, Madelyn Smoak, Separate Childhoods, Walla Walla, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-05-06 11:17:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 30,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5414804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shannyfish/pseuds/shannyfish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was luck that Madelyn Smoak and Mackenzie Queen met at summer camp during a fencing match.  Neither of them expected to pull off a mask and find a reflection of themselves staring back.  But in the days that followed the girls learned that they were sisters– twins, separated by their parents.  Madelyn had been raised in London with tech genius and blonde bombshell Felicity Smoak, while Mackenzie grew up with their father, Oliver Queen, the owner of Green Arrow Vineyards.  When the girls devise a devious plan to switch parents, neither of them expected that what they’d really be fighting for was putting their family back together again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. London

**Author's Note:**

> Though this story isn't super holiday centric, there will be a holiday chapter at the end. I will be posting 12 chapters, one a day.

The Parent Trap AU Prompt:  
It was luck that Morgan Smoak and Mackenzie Queen met at summer camp during a fencing match. Neither of them expected to pull off a mask and find a reflection of themselves staring back. But in the days that followed the girls learned that they were sisters– twins, separated by their parents. Morgan had been raised in London with tech genius and blonde bombshell Felicity Smoak, while Mac grew up with their father, Oliver Queen, the owner of Green Arrow Vineyards. When the girls devise a devious plan to switch parents, neither of them expected that what they’d really be fighting for was putting their family back together again.

Author's Note:  
I have a rule about kids' names in fanfic. I use the same set of kids' names for pairings. So, for example: for Oliver and Felicity...I use Thomas "Tommy" Robert Queen and Madelyn Meghan Queen. So, I'll be just adjusting this prompt so that the girls' names are Madelyn (instead of Morgan) and Mackenzie. Not a huge adjustment, but otherwise it drives me a bit nuts. 

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

= JUNE =  
= London =

 

"We're certain that this is a girls only camp?" 

"You mean like the school I attend?"

Felicity just stared at her daughter and then sighed. "Yes. Am I being too overbearing?"

Madelyn smiled at her mother, "I know you only do it because you worry...and care."

"I LOVE you!" Felicity told her as she grabbed her daughter a bit too quickly and held her a bit too tightly. "Don't forget to text."

"No phones allowed, Mum."

"E-mail."

"Nope."

"God, it sounds like I'm sending you to some far circle of hell," Felicity mumbled quietly, but Madelyn still heard her words. Her mother sighed heavily. When she pulled away she was crinkling up her nose. "I don't think there was anything in the packet about how I needed to send you with paper, pen, envelopes, or stamps."

"Imagine how many I'd need to get the post here?"

"Are you SURE you want to go there? It's not too late to--"

"It's only Maine, Mum," Madelyn told her matter of factly. "I COULD travel all the way to…" She paused and found her face cringing as the words rolled slowly out of her mouth, feeling foreign and almost dirty. "Las...Vegas…"

"Bright side. I'm not torturing you as much as I guess I think I am."

"Nan is all fine and good...but when she's here...in a civilized place," Madelyn said as she checked her appearance in the mirror once more. She attended one of the most prestigious all girls' school in London and she'd found that looking proper got you quite far in the world. Her normally long wavy hair (she got that from her mother) had been tamed with a flat iron, likely the last time that was going to happen until the end of the summer when she returned home. It was pulled out of her face, secured ever so neatly and precisely to one side (you couldn't even see the pin she'd used). She was dressed in a brightly colored floral dress of blues, greens, fuchsia, and spots of yellow and was paired with a fuchsia cardigan. She knew that it wasn't something that was really appropriate for summer camp, but she was trying to take in the freedom of wearing whatever she wanted before she was thrown into another world of uniforms. 

Felicity kissed her forehead and then sighed again. Madelyn could tell that this was stressing her mother out a bit too much. "Are you CERTAIN you don't want me to come with you to the airport?" 

"No, it'll be fine," Madelyn waved off. "Diggle is driving me. We arranged this when we first made the plans for Camp Walden, remember?" 

"Right."

John Diggle was their family's bodyguard. Madelyn wasn't quite sure WHY they needed one, but he brought her mother some comfort with his presence, so she had never questioned it. She knew that her mother did important tech work, she'd even gone and installed...something...at the palace. So, Madelyn supposed that she was just being careful, plus Diggle was always there for her when her mother couldn't be. With how long he'd been with their family, he was more like an uncle than a bodyguard. 

"I love you and I'll miss you," Madelyn told her mother. "Don't worry, I'll sort out everything we might have overlooked when I arrive at camp."

"I'll see to it, Ms. Smoak," Diggle said from behind her.

Madelyn spun around. "You're coming with?" 

That wasn't part of the plan.

The three of them had traveled all over the world. The only place, though, that they'd been in the US had been Las Vegas and that trip had been cut short. Her Nan just did better when she wasn't in her own native habitat. They'd been everywhere else, though, it seemed. They'd go on work trips for her mother's job, but for some reason...her mother always refused working in the US. Madelyn had never understood it since that's where her mother was FROM. That didn't matter right now, though, what did...was that she was a pro at knowing where to go in Heathrow and understanding what to do. She might still be a child and young, but that didn't mean that she was stupid and incapable.

"I figured I'd go on vacation while you're gone," Diggle explained. "I have a friend over there."

"A lady friend?"

"Madelyn," Felicity lightly scolded. "We don't pry…"

Madelyn just looked in her mother's direction. "I'm merely asking a friendly question…" She held out her hand to Diggle. "Are we ready to go?"

He smiled and took her hand. "Luggage is already packed in the car."

She was nearly to the door when she released the hold she'd had on Diggle's hand and went running back to her mother, hugging her one last time. Madelyn was really doing this more for her mother than anything else. With her and Diggle gone, her mother was going to be left in London with just her work. She was going to be bored without them. 

"Go on," Felicity finally said, obviously reluctantly.

Hurrying back to the door where Diggle was waiting for her, she headed out of the house that she'd grown up in, well for the majority of it. It was old and very English...but she was going to miss it. It wasn't just London or her home...it was Diggle...and her mom. It was her whole world.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

= Arrived at Camp Walden = 

 

"What are you looking forward to most?"

"I don't know," Madelyn pondered for a moment. "The list of sports and activities was quite extensive. Of course, the website has glorious pictures of everything...including the massive inflatable obstacle course on the lake."

"I did see that," Diggle said. "I also saw that they have fencing...I better hear stories of you whipping all of their butts."

Madelyn just grinned stupidly at that. Diggle really was great and he was right, she had some superior skills when it came to fencing. "That's the plan!"

"Also, a gift," he said as he pulled out a fresh deck of cards, still wrapped. "I'm hoping you find someone who can beat YOU in poker at this camp."

"Doubt it!" she told him brightly as she took the offered gift before they got out of the car. It only took her a moment to take in the wilderness surrounding them. The cabins looked...rugged to Madelyn. They were made out of large logs and she just hoped the brochure was correct on the whole running water and indoor loos. She hated false advertisement, especially on those comforts. 

"You sure you're going to be up for this?" 

Madelyn looked back at Diggle. "Just wait...you'll come back and I'll be 'Queen of Camp'."

"Is that a real title?"

She beamed, "You'll just have to see in a few weeks, won't you?" He just seemed amused. "Who ARE you visiting again?"

"Lyla Michaels...someone I knew once...when I was...uh, younger."

"Right."

"Don't forget, your favorite tea is packed," Diggle told her as they exited the vehicle. He pulled out her bags and lined them up beside the vehicle, her not quite knowing how this was going to know and hoping that she had everything she needed packed. It was time to say goodbye, but they had their OWN way of saying it. 

It started with shaking hands, like civilized people. It was suddenly all hands in like they were at the end of a game, their hands went down together before springing upwards. Madelyn pressed the palm of her hands together, same as Diggle, and their hands collided for a moment before stilling as the right hand came up. Madelyn high fived his hand before coming down and hitting her own hand and then going below to give Diggle a low five. Their left hands moved down below for another low five before the right one came around to smack their respective right hip. Madelyn turned to the side as her and Diggle's hips bumped against each other which was followed quickly by the right ones meeting for just a moment. Her hands folded under her chin, her elbows extended outwards as she bounced down and back up twice before switching positions with Diggle and shaking his hand once again.

This was tradition.

THEIR tradition. 

They were grinning at each other and Diggle pulled her in for a much needed hug. She clung to him for a moment. He really was the closest friend she had in the world and the closest thing she'd ever come to having a father. He'd been there all her life and here she was...leaving him for such an extended period of time. She knew he'd fine, but SHE would miss HIM. 

"Make friends," Diggle told her. "Have fun. Stay out of trouble." He kissed her forehead as he pulled back so that she was at arm's length and he was just staring at her for a moment. "Try not to grow any more while you're here…and REMEMBER, I won't be far if you need me."

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

TBC....


	2. Of Books and Foils

= JUNE =   
= Camp Walden =

 

Camp Walden was everything Madelyn had expected and more. She'd almost immediately made friends with two girls close to her age, Cassie and Brenda. They were both lovely girls who had brought quite a few books with them and Madelyn had been completely relieved to find out that they were also in the same bunk that she was. It made things a little easier to make friends right off and then be able to know that those people would have your back and be likely in the same rotation of activities during camp. 

"I can't believe that you brought so many books with you," Madelyn went on. "I wanted to bring my e-reader, but Mum said that they didn't want us to have electronics here. Silly, really." She paused for a moment. "And with how much I read, the battery would be dead within the first week."

"My sister's battery lasts forever," Brenda spoke up. "But then she only reads for like ten minutes a day…" She shook her head and her tone turned disgusted. "I don't know how anyone could live like that!"

Madelyn sat on the edge of Brenda's bed as she unpacked. "I only brought two books, I wished that I would have known that my bunkmates would have been such bookworms...we could have set something up beforehand and had ourselves our own little shared library for the term of camp."

Cassie bounced onto the bed next to her. "Right? I get that most of us don't know each other, but that would make so much more sense!" She looked between Madelyn and Brenda. "Maybe if we're all coming back next year, we can request to bunk together again and we can exchange information...plan ahead."

"Excellent plan!"

"I brought a variety," Brenda explained as she lined up her books on the shelf that she had available to her. "'His Dark Materials' trilogy, the 'Tripods' trilogy, and 'Clear Light of Day'."

Cassie started to share. "I brought 'Letters from Rifka' and…" She suddenly seemed less excited and her voice dropped and disappeared as she turned away from them.

"And?" Madelyn prompted.

"Nothing," Cassie said. "It's silly."

"What's silly?"

"I brought--"

They were both staring at the other girl now. "You brought what? 'Twilight'? Let's be honest," Madelyn said. "We've all read it. That's why everyone knows the story. They can bash it all they want, but it's something that everyone's pretty much read."

Cassie seemed amused at that. "I like graphic novels," she admitted.

"No shame in that."

"Really?"

Madelyn shrugged. "I read them at home all the time."

"You do?" both girls asked.

It was one of the things that John Diggle had put forth in her education. It was one of the things that they did and shared together. Madelyn hadn't brought any with her, though. She hadn't wanted to accidentally kill the covers or pages in transit. "So far, I've liked mostly everything I've read."

Cassie was definitely brighter all of the sudden. "I might have a thing for 'Captain America'."

"I haven't actually read a graphic novel before," Brenda confessed. "But I'm always up for new adventures in reading…"

"That's the spirit!" Madelyn enthused. "Between at least the three of us, we'll have so much to talk about even after camp."

Even though they'd only been at camp a couple of hours, Madelyn felt like these two were going to be quick and good friends. They'd have to be like pen pals, but that was all fine and good. There was the internet, which meant not only e-mail, but instant messenger and Skype. Maybe she was thinking about it so much because back home she really didn't have many friends. The school she attended was the very best in the area, but most of the girls there her age weren't as smart as she was and they just didn't get her. She'd always more enjoyed her time with Diggle and other adults. So this, this experience was something marvelous.

There was a loud clanging of a bell in the distance that broke up their laughter and caught their attention as the rest of their bunk was filled with the remaining girls who would make up their cabin. The girls just seemed to drop their things and immediately move on to changing, those who weren't in their camp clothes. Camp Walden really didn't care what kind or color shorts you wore (and most kids wore shorts since it was the summer) along with the white or forest green camp shirt. 

Changing was something that she'd been putting off. Mainly because Madelyn never wore shorts. At home, she was nearly always in a school uniform. They'd wear stretchy capris or full length leggings in gym class. These shorts, however, had been something that she'd had purchased for her. Maybe it was just because her legs were so white. There was going to be a lot of getting used to things there, but she knew that this camp was going to be the best summer ever. 

"That's the lunch bell," Cassie explained. "We better hurry...especially if we want to sit together."

And they did.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The first week of camp was a blast. 

She'd written her mother and Diggle a letter everyday so far. It was so far, definitely, something that she was going to want to do every summer. She'd learned new things and her new friends were fantastic. 

"We're doing tie-dying later, right?" Brenda asked.

"Too bad they won't let us dye our camp shirts," Cassie said. "I almost got away with it last year."

The girls giggled. 

They were going to be off again to do another round of activities, but first they had some down time. Madelyn ran her brush through her hair and let out a sigh. She'd become quite good at braiding (and doing a lot of different braids, at that) in the week she'd been there. So, she sat there and braided her hair, so that it would be off of her neck and away from her face. Slowly, but surely, her blonde hair was braided into a crown on top of her head and Brenda was there to pin it into place without her even asking. 

"You know, you sort of look like this princess," Cassie commented. "I mean, you're from England, so that's close right."

Madelyn could speak with and without the accent. Her mother didn't speak with one, nor did Diggle, but everyone else around her in the world she'd grown up did. So, she'd figured out how to speak both ways. "My mother's American, though."

"What about your dad?" Brenda asked. "I saw your pictures of your mom…there's a picture of you with another guy, but I didn't think--"

Letting out a little laugh, she shook it off. She looked back at the two girls, it was time to mess with them a bit. "That I'm too white to be his daughter?"

Brenda's face went white and her eyes popped out a bit. "I--"

"I'm just joking with you!" Madelyn told her and laughed like crazy. She pulled out the pictures that she'd brought in frames and had displayed on a lower shelf. "My mom...and then the guy is John Diggle, he's like our--"

"Butler?"

"I'm pretty sure my mom introduces him mostly as our driver, but he's more like a bodyguard."

"What do you need a bodyguard for?" Cassie asked. "You didn't bring him, did you? He's not some kind of ninja?"

"No, at least...I don't think he is," Madelyn rambled on. "I suppose he's the closest man that's been like a father to me growing up. I don't know my actual father, though."

"That's not the most horrible thing," Cassie admitted. "Things got so much better when my parents split up."

Maybe Cassie was right, but that hadn't ever stopped Madelyn Smoak from dreaming what it would be like to have a father and be an actual nuclear family. Of course, she wasn't opposed to having two mothers or her mom plus her dad having some other family. Madelyn had just always felt like she was missing answers in her life and her mother always avoided the subject. It was hard not to think about what she could be missing out when everyone else around her seemed to at least know the name of their other parent and see them, even if they were divorced or if they'd passed away. Madelyn didn't have any of that.

"We better go," Brenda said before anything else could be said on the matter, right as the bell clang echoed throughout camp. 

Being that it was the first week, everyone was taking turns at all of the activities, trying to find what they enjoys and were best at. They were trying to make it through it all, so that by dinner that night, they could turn in their lists of what activities they wanted on their schedule for the remaining weeks of camp. They still had fencing and a load of other activities to do, though it wouldn't be the first time that Madelyn had picked up a foil. She was actually excited to show off. 

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Even though she knew that she shouldn't be so proud about her fencing skills, Madelyn couldn't help it. It was one of the few sports she especially enjoyed and seemed to excel at school back home. Though, she was a bit surprised at how good some of the other girls were, of course she knew that there were some girls who were serial campers, who had been coming every summer since they were old enough to attend. 

They weren't exactly running the fencing area like one would back home, but Madelyn easily adapted to their lack of boundaries. Most fencers didn't really use much area, but the one that Madelyn was currently facing definitely used the area to her advantage...and she was GOOD. Even the other girl's stance was fairly perfected. It would have really impressed Madelyn if she wasn't so in danger of losing her concentration and losing that match, she didn't enjoying losing. 

The girls went back and forth and moved around, enough so that the other girls had to move out of the way. They were up on hay bales and then up and down steps of a nearby building. Madelyn spun, moving out of the way of her opponent's foil before jumping over the nearby railing. She continued her assault on the other girl and saw the best opportunity to end their match. There was a trough of water nearby, Madelyn was fairly sure that it was used for washing up outside for some of the particularly messy sports. Her opponent hadn't noticed it, it seemed, so slowly...Madelyn backed her up until she was falling backwards into the trough.

There was a loud chorus of giggling and laughter that came almost immediately. Madelyn turned to face her friends as she lifted her mask, but before she knew what was happening, she was being yanked backward and landed in the trough alongside her opponent. Madelyn let out a frustrated sigh just as her opponent let out a loud laugh as she removed her mask.

Everyone gasped and fell silent.

Madelyn blinked for a moment before looking over at her opponent. It was almost looking into a mirror. Before she could really process what was going on, they were both being fished out by their respective friends. It took her a moment to get over the fact that she was now partially soaked, but she turned back to the other girl. The girl who looked like her. 

It wasn't in every exact way. Their hair was both blonde, but the other girl's looked blonder and it was definitely shorter...and she had bangs. Madelyn just stared at her and waited for the other girl to react. What the other girl said, though, was not what she'd expected to hear.

"Woah…" the girl's friend exclaimed. Madelyn was fairly sure her name was Cady. She had dark brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail and was very sporty.

"What?" the other girl, who looked nearly like her reflection, snapped. 

Madelyn could hear an accent, though everyone had accents to her head. She was still fairly sure that she was the only one who wasn't American or Canadian there at camp. She couldn't believe that the other girl wasn't going on about how shocked she was that they looked like they could be related. 

"You two...you look exactly alike," Cady stumbled.

The other girl studied her for a moment. "Well, I can see how you could say that...BUT...her ears are MUCH longer…"

Madelyn's mouth dropped open. 

"And look at her hair...it's like straw…"

She found herself filling with anger. Madelyn couldn't bring herself to find the words, though, to relay what she was feeling and thinking, especially after what the other girl was saying.

"Okay...break it up, break it up," one of the counselors came over. She looked between them. "Now Madelyn."

"I'm not Madelyn!"

The counselor looked between them both. "Whoa… Sorry, I'm sorry...Mackenzie...Madelyn...let's break it up."

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

TBC...


	3. Reunited

= JUNE =   
= Camp Walden =

 

The remainder of the week, there was practically an all out war between Mackenzie Queen and Madelyn Smoak's cabins. There were pranks in the cabins, pranks during activities, and pranks in the mess hall. It had apparently been too much because one day, Madelyn found herself packed up and being marched across the camp's grounds. At first, she'd thought that she was going home, until she saw the sign. 

Isolation cabin.

The cabin she'd be staying in was a punishment and she realized that they weren't sending her and Mackenzie Queen home, but rather punishing them together. They were to spend the remainder of the camp together in that isolated cabin. They weren't far out into the woods or anything, they were just set away from the other camper cabins and set near the staff cabins. 

Did she have an option?

Could she decide to go home?

Right now, she was fairly sure that she'd choose abandoning her great summer camp adventure and returning home to her mother in London if it meant avoiding what was likely to be the worst time in her life. Madelyn was fairly sure she could almost guarantee it would be the worst in her ENTIRE life. What else could top it? 

The cabin was small, but it was nice enough. It was clear that it hadn't been updated like the others. It had simple lighting that worried her. She kept trying to tell herself that even that cabin had to meet certain safety standards as well as insulation. There was no way they'd put them in a cabin that would either melt them or freeze them, would they? It would be cruel. Well, maybe it WAS to do both. It was a punishment cabin.

Once all of their stuff was moved into the isolation cabin, they were left alone. From then on out, they were to do everything pretty much together. She knew what their endgame was, they wanted them to learn to get along and become best friends. As far as Madelyn was concerned, that wasn't going to happen. Instead, she had planned on reading her way through the time spent in the cabin, ignoring Mackenzie during meals, and focusing on enjoying the actual activities instead of whom she had to partner with. 

Madelyn was doing her best to try to ignore Mackenzie, she was unpacking and suddenly realizing how much this was going to suck...she'd been so excited to have a cabin full of fellow readers. They had practically had their own library. Now, she was left with just the books she'd brought along. They weren't going to get her through the entire summer. She wondered if her mother could possibly send her more along if she wrote to her and asked her.

"Do you REALLY plan on reading all of those?"

Looking back over her shoulder, she wondered meanly if Mackenzie could even READ at a proper level. "I was just actually thinking that I am going to need more if I'm going to make it through this summer with my sanity."

Mackenzie rolled her eyes in reply. 

"Don't you READ?"

"Not if I don't have to normally...at least not thick books like that…"

"They're called NOVELS."

"I prefer...graphic...NOVELS," Mackenzie shot back.

Madelyn rolled her eyes and shook her head. 

"I don't know why you get off thinking you're so superior...just because you can throw around that POSH accent," Mackenzie teased. "It doesn't make you better than the rest of us."

"I never SAID that--"

"You IMPLIED it!"

Frustration was high. Madelyn didn't understand what the other girl's problem was. She didn't understand why Mackenzie seemed so focused on everything else EXCEPT for the clear fact that they so closely resembled each other. "What do you want from me?" Madelyn finally asked the other girl.

Silence befell the cabin.

Makenzie just stared back at her for what seemed like the entire day before she finally spoke up. "I want you to stop making this weird."

"I'M making it weird?" Madelyn exclaimed. "You're the one who seems to want to avoid the plain fact that we look as if we could be sisters."

"We don't even look THAT alike," Mackenzie said. 

"Why? Because you have shorter hair?"

"Maybe we're like distant relatives or something," she brushed off. "Fifteenth cousins or some such thing." Mackenzie ran her fingers through her blonde hair. "Dad never really talks about anyone. Our only actual blood family that I know of is my aunt."

Madelyn bit her bottom lip for a moment as she thought. "I just know of my grandmother...though she doesn't like to be called that."

"Well, at least you have that...my grandparents died years ago...boating accident."

"This is just crazy," Madelyn went on and got to her feet and found herself pacing back and forth. "I mean, I've heard of people having a twin in the world...but this is beyond that...we have to be like cousins or--"

"Twin."

Madelyn stopped and turned to her. "But how could we possibly be twins?" she questioned the other girl. "That just doesn't make sense!"

"Why? We both don't seem to know a lot about our families."

That was quite true.

"I mean, I have a picture of my father...but...but Mum talks so vaguely about him, I guess I always assumed that he died," Madelyn explained with a shrug. "It's not even a good picture, though...it's torn and crumpled up--"

"Wait...you only have a mom and I only have a dad," Mackenzie said slowly. 

The clarity of what Mackenzie saw hit her suddenly. The only reason she didn't think of that was because she'd always just assumed that her father was dead. Madelyn hadn't thought that he was out there in the world, otherwise...why wouldn't he want to know her? If he REALLY had loved her mother like her mother had occasionally spoken, then why would they have ever let anything change?

"I only have one picture of my mother," Mackenzie said and went to retrieve it. "And it's torn, too."

Torn.

Like hers.

It took her a moment to really process it before Madelyn turned and moved to retrieve from where she kept her picture. An old tin that she'd found at an antique store with the queen on it was what she kept all her most precious prized keepsakes in, which included the picture of her father. The only picture of her father. "He's so young...if he's alive still, I doubt he looks anything like this," Madelyn babbling as she held the picture, picture side in, against her chest. It was the only one. It was all she had of him. "I mean, it's been YEARS...people change...everyone changes…"

"Okay, okay," Mackenzie said, quieting her. Mackenzie was holding her photo to her chest as well, as if she were hiding it. "Oh three…" Madelyn nodded. "One."

"Two."

"Three."

They both flipped their photos at the same time. They both gasped and the two pictures soon became one, making it all the more clear. The reason the photo had been ripped on one side was because it was half of a whole picture. Their parents looked so happy and so young in the picture. 

"We're sisters!" Mackenzie exclaimed, suddenly happy.

Madelyn laughed and looked from the picture to her sister. "I think we're actually twins," she explained. "What day is your birthday?"

"October twentieth."

"Mine too!"

"And we're both the same age," Mackenzie said.

"We're TWINS."

And with that, their lives had changed forever from that moment onward. Madelyn could feel it inside of her. It was like a part of her that she hadn't realized was missing had been reunited. Something that she hadn't realized she needed or wanted was finally hers. A twin. A sister. Someone who would finally understand her. 

"You're going to LOVE Mum," Madelyn gushed. "She's amazing!"

"I want you to tell me everything about her and I'll tell you everything about Dad," Mackenzie said. "But we have to figure this out… It's not like I can go back to England or whatever WITH you after camp...Dad's going to be expecting me back in Washington."

"But I want to know Dad," Madelyn nearly whined. 

"And I want to know Mom!"

"Mum."

"I'm American, we use the 'o'," Mackenzie said and shook her head. Her eyes widened a moment later.

"What?" Madelyn asked. "What is it? Are you okay?"

"Oh my God! I just thought of the most amazing BEST plan…" Mackenzie said with a loud gasp. "It just HAS to work!" Her eyes were suddenly on hers. "You HAVE to say yes! We could do it, Maddie!"

"It's Madelyn."

"Yeah, well, I don't think it sounds as COOL," Mackenzie pointed out. "It's a nickname. Don't they have those in England?"

"Of course we do, don't be silly," Madelyn said with a shake of her head and then looked at the picture again. "But Mum has always called me Madelyn...sometimes Diggle calls me 'Mad' for short."

"What kind of name is Diggle?"

"His full name is JOHN Diggle and he's our bodyguard...and my friend," Madelyn said. "He's like family."

"Why do you need a bodyguard?"

Madelyn shrugged. "Mum's pretty important in the tech world in London...well, around the world really."

"Seriously? Like famous famous?"

"I mean, she's important and well known everywhere I've ever been with her," Madelyn said and shrugged again. "I don't know that that constitutes FAMOUS." She paused for a moment. "What about Dad? What does he do?"

"He has his own vineyard."

"Really?"

Mackenzie nodded. "Green Arrow Vineyard."

"Do you live there alone? Just you and Dad?"

"Well, I mean...Sara's there. I think Dad just mainly has her around so I have a female figure...well, and she's an awesome cook," Mackenzie said. "As far as I can tell...she's been around...forever...since like I was born."

"Does that mean Dad likes her?"

"Of course he likes her, she's SARA!"

Madelyn just stared at her newfound twin.

"Oh...not in THAT way," Mackenzie said. "Like Dad ever seriously dates someone...Sara's more like his sister…"

"Well, I suppose that's good, right?"

Mackenzie just shrugged. "I mean it's not like he's ever going to find someone to be my MOM...I mean, I'm practically grown up." She paused for a moment. The only person who could ever be my mom would be my actually Mom...or Mum…" There was no more than a half beat before she turned quickly to Madelyn. "That's it!"

"What's it?" Madelyn questioned, suddenly confused.

"Mum!"

"Mum?"

"Yeah, we get them together…"

"How are WE going to get them together?"

Mackenzie shrugged. "Well, we have a little bit of time to figure it out, right? Cleverly, of course…"

They had the entire rest of summer to figure it out.

Maybe, just maybe...this would work.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

TBC...


	4. End of Summer

= July =  
= Camp Walden = 

 

There wasn't as much of enjoying camp activities as Madelyn had originally planned. No, she was teaching Mackenzie everything she could about being Madelyn Meghan Smoak. Knowing everything about her past wasn't everything that Mackenzie needed to know, though. They both had grown up in different parts of the world, it wasn't just knowing how to present yourself...it was knowing the culture of the Smoak home and of being in London in general.

"Diggle will be the hardest," Madelyn told her. "He will be the very hardest to convince you're me...but we still have time...I think we can possibly do it."

"What about the English accent? So far, mine is rubbish."

Madelyn beamed. "Perhaps, but your vocabulary usage is already improving. I don't always use an accent," she said and purposely switched back and forth between English and American accents as she spoke to her twin. "Mum doesn't use one or Diggle, but I mean, I go to school and grew up in London...it's almost like knowing two different languages." She froze. "Wait. Do you know other languages at all?"

"No," Mackenzie said with a shrug. "I mean, I know SOME Spanish. I'd be better at Canadian, though."

Madelyn just stared at her. "You're joking, right? I mean, unless you're speaking of FRENCH Canadian."

"I like maple syrup and can incorporate 'eh' into my sentences?"

This was not going to help her. Madelyn just rolled her eyes. "Have you ever been to Canada before?"

"One time, Sara and I went on this trip when I was like five."

"Okay, then...let's just forget the loveliness that is Canada for a moment and focus once again on if you know any language other than American English."

"Well when you put it THAT way, no." Mackenzie stared at her for a long moment. "Wait, do YOU know another language?"

"French and Italian."

"What kind of nonsense is that?!"

"What do you mean?"

"What girl our age knows French AND Italian?"

Madelyn just blinked. "You've really never left your corner of the world, have you?"

"Nope."

"You'd be AMAZED."

"Obviously I have no idea how I'm going to do this," Mackenzie said. "There's NO way I'm going to be able to learn how to be YOU, learn about everything and everyone I need to know about, AND learn two languages before summer's end…"

"We'll...we'll figure it out," Madelyn said as she thought it over. "There shouldn't be any travelling when we're switched...I could teach you a couple of basic words...maybe some common phrases."

"Well, we'll see if that happens," Mackenzie said.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

= August =   
= Camp Walden = 

 

"I can't believe I'm going to London tomorrow," Mackenzie squealed.

Madelyn twirled her hair around her finger. "Except the whole issue of the hair…"

"You know it's just hair...it's not THAT big of a deal...it'll grow back…"

"What will you tell Diggle? Mum?"

"That some girl at camp cut it and I was feeling adventurous," Mackenzie told Madelyn as she spoke in her best English accent. It was actually pretty good. Madelyn still wasn't so sure that Diggle was going to find her convincing even with all the studying they'd done. 

Madelyn let out a huff. "Are you SURE you can cut hair?"

"Sara has totally taught me."

"Fine."

The haircut experience wasn't AS traumatic as she'd expected, but it was still odd to her. Once it was done and Mackenzie had brushed it and pinned it how she does, it was different. Quite different, but it wasn't horrible. Madelyn stared in the mirror at it and just breathed. "No…"

"What? Did I miss a strand?"

"No, it's not that…" Madelyn whispered in horror as she rubbed her ear. "I don't have pierced ears."

"How do you NOT have pierced ears? In that picture of Mum, she has piercings...multiple piercings."

"I had regular ear piercings when I was really younger...but then I ended up sick and they ended up infected and we just never got them re-pierced...Mum was like too freaked out or something."

Mackenzie waved her hand. "No problem at all."

"What do you mean NO PROBLEM?" Madelyn questioned and started to get upset. "They'll notice if you go to London with piercings and I go to...Walla...Walla...without pierced ears…"

"I'll say a girl did them at camp, which is what we're going to do with yours."

"Are you serious?"

"Sure, Stacy over in the green cabin has an ear piercer. I'll just trade her a package of oreos, bag of chips, and a pack of cards for a set of earrings and the use of the piercer."

"You can't be serious...ear piercing requires a PROFESSIONAL."

"Oh please!"

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The next day, Madelyn was leaving camp with her hair cut, her ears pierced, and dressed in Mackenzie's clothes. It was weird. She'd heard of walking in someone else's shoes, but this was just trippy. She'd hugged Mackenzie like crazy and then had straightened her clothes. They'd gone over the 'handshake' about five times that morning alone. It was going to be hard to trick Diggle, but Madelyn was determined to make it work. 

She watched from afar, behind a tree so that she wouldn't be seen as a car pulled up and Diggle stepped out. She was fighting staying in place. Suddenly, Madelyn was homesick. All she wanted to do was to hug him. 

Mackenzie approached, as her, and they were talking. It was only a moment later before they were doing the secret handshake. From what she could see, Mackenzie had done well. Diggle was putting her things into the car a moment later. 

They were going home.

Back to HER home.

Back to London.

"Queen, let's go," one of the camp counselors told her, interrupting her watch over Mackenzie and Diggle. "Bus is waiting to drop you at the airport."

Unlike Mum, Dad had no problems letting Mackenzie travel on the plane by herself. Sara or Dad would meet her at the airport, she'd get a text once she landed to let her know who to look for. Madelyn was just thankful that Mackenzie had brought pictures of everyone she pretty much needed to know. 

Now, it was the start of her adventure.

Walla Walla, Washington.

Green Arrow Vineyards.

She wasn't ready.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

TBC...


	5. Walla Walla

**= Walla Walla, Washington =**

 

"KENZI!!!!!!!"

The high pitched shrieking of joy wasn't something that Madelyn wasn't used to or the overwhelming hug that accompanied it that nearly knocked her to the ground. Madelyn was used to Nan doing this, but this woman...Sara Lance...she was MUCH younger than her Nan. As she stared at her, she just grinned. She'd been told all about Sara, she'd been practically a mom to Mackenzie or an aunt...as her father apparently had no romantic interest in the woman. As Madelyn stared at Sara, she had no idea how he couldn't. Sara was gorgeous and she knew that she was wonderful in so many ways. "Hi," she greeted brightly.

"Hi? All I get is HI?!" Sara teased and then started to tickle her before putting an arm around her. "I missed you!" Sara kissed the top of her head and squeezed her a bit. "Let's get your bags and then get you to the car… I wanted to bring Speedy, but he wouldn't have wanted to stay in the car and would have likely used my seats as chew toys."

Madelyn just smiled. She'd never had a pet before and when she found out that there was a dog...and Mackenzie had told her the story of Speedy...Madelyn had been absolutely excited about getting to live that life for a while. Having a pet, a dog especially.

When Mackenzie was about five, Sara had brought home this little black and white fluffy puppy and her father had said that they couldn't keep it. Before their father could veto the dog, though, Mackenzie had already fallen in love with it and had even given the dog a name. Speedy. Once something was named, it was always way harder to get rid of it, especially when Mackenzie and Sara had apparently given him unison sad faces.

So, they'd kept Speedy.

"You have to be hungry! It's been a long day! How was your flight? I'll make your favorite when we get home, okay?"

"The flight was fine," Madelyn said and was taking in the difference in the airport and just the world outside the windows. It was definitely different than Heathrow or any of the other airports she'd flown in or out of. Plus, there was Sara. This was just the start of her great adventure.

"Come on! You're not starving?"

Madelyn just shook her head.

"Seriously? Normally you're begging me to feed you!"

"I had a snack on the plane."

Sara stared at her for a long moment. "There's something...different...about you."

Nervous all of the sudden about being found out, Madelyn pushed a strand of hair back and shook her head. "Nope, nothing different… Same Mackenzie Queen as always."

"No additional piercings...not that I really would care...as long as it's not a belly button or a nose ring…" Sara told her. "Tattoos?"

Madelyn smirked and shook her head.

"I'm going to figure it out," Sara told her seriously.

"You're welcome to try...but it's an impossible feat."

"Impossible feat?" Sara echoed as they walked on.

Obviously she'd used the wrong words, but she hoped that Sara wouldn't continue to figure out what was 'different' because if she really prodded...she'd find out that there was quite A LOT that was different...mainly because she was in fact Madelyn Smoak and not Mackenzie Queen. "What?" she asked, hoping that it wasn't going to make things worse...after all...they hadn't even gotten out of the airport yet.

"I thought you went to camp to have fun--"

"Not upgrade my vocabulary?" she tried to fill in before Sara could finish her sentence. Madelyn shrugged. "I guess the other girls in my cabin rubbed off on me."

"I guess so."

"Let's see if your dad notices," Sara half teased.

Maybe this was going to work.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

**= Green Arrow Vineyard =**

 

The drive was amazing. It was beautiful and green and completely different from where she'd grown up in London. She was almost sad that the drive hadn't taken longer. Sara had talked the entire time, mostly talking AT her and hadn't expected conversation...so Madelyn appreciated that. Maybe she just figured that the long flight and the long day in general was a lot to expect her to act differently.

She wasn't sure.

Should she be acting differently?

Should she be going on about everything at camp?

Madelyn saw the large carved and painted wooden sign at the entrance of the vineyard proclaiming it as Green Arrow Vineyards. She knew this. Mackenzie had prepped her for this, but she hadn't prepped her for how magnificent it was. It was almost like entering a movie. Everything just looked so perfect. As they entered, she couldn't help but smile like crazy.

Dad.

Her dad was here.

This was a home that she would finally know.

"Someone's happy to be home," Sara said sing-songly.

Madelyn flashed a smile at her. "It feels like forever."

"Just wait until you see your dad...he's been growing a beard...or something," Sara said and made a face when she talked about it. "Seriously...I've been telling him ALL summer that he needs to go back to how he used to have it...but just wait...don't let me bias your opinion...you're going to see it and order him to shave right then and there."

She'd seen pictures and she knew that he normally had SOME facial hair and the thought of him growing some beard all summer just made her laugh. Madelyn didn't know why, but it amused her. On top of it all, she appreciated that Sara thought that SHE could influence her father so much as to order him to do something. She knew how to do the whole guilt trip thing...but ordering? Of course, in her life experience...she couldn't think of a time where she needed to order anyone to do anything. They were always ones to discuss things and then it would happen.

"I'll have to see it first before I come up with any solid opinion," Madelyn told Sara.

"Oh, just wait… I don't even think that I can properly forewarn you on this."

Maybe this was going to be better than she thought.

Maybe this would be fun.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The house was spectacular. It was so large. Madelyn wondered if it was considered an estate. From what she knew, only three people lived in the house...and it looked like it could easily accommodate at least TWICE that number. There were a set of huge wooden front doors with glass inserts that had stained glass pieces made of clear, blue, green, and yellow with the vineyard logo on it. It was almost like a coat of arms, in her opinion.

Sara let out almost a laugh as she opened the front door. "You keep looking at everything like you've never seen it before, Kenzi!" She shook her head and then followed her in. "It's not like we really changed anything while you were gone."

"Maybe it's just because you know...the whole...distance makes the heart grow fonder thing…" Madelyn said as she motioned with her hand as she tried to grasp for her words. It wasn't that she didn't have them, but that she was having a hard time focusing with everything she was taking in.

She was still in awe of the interior of the house with a loud barking caught her attention and when she swung her attention around, she found a dog that she knew she was supposed to see...but she wasn't prepared for the size of it. It was a black with white markings and chest Newfoundland that almost looked like it could be a bear to her. It was standing at Sara's side and was barking at her.

"Hey--hey Speedy…" Madelyn said.

That only seemed to make the dog bark more. "What is WRONG with you?" Sara asked the dog and grabbed him by the collar. "Kenzi's not a stranger! She's not been gone THAT long for you to forget her!" Sara looked from the dog and then to her, and for a moment Madelyn thought that it was all over. Instead, Sara started to drag the dog towards the back of the house. "Come on...you silly thing… Kenzi's not even home for five minutes and you're scaring her off...she's going to wish that she stayed at camp!" Sara chastised the entire way.

Madelyn just trailed behind slowly, taking in the house. It had these beautiful wood details throughout it, built ins and accents. It actually reminded her of home and for a moment, she had to fight off homesickness. She missed Diggle and her mother...she missed their house...and she missed London.

"Hey Kenzi! You can't tell me that you'll turn down homemade snickerdoodles," Sara said as she walked back towards her.

"Never turn down cookies," Madelyn told her. That was something that would send up red flags for any child to turn down cookies, especially BEFORE dinner. "Do you mind if I go up to my room?" she asked hesitantly as she pointed towards the wooden staircase.

Sara shrugged. "Nope. Just...at least tell me what you want for dinner."

"Anything is fine."

"Come on! Give me a hint at least," Sara begged.

"Just something easy...I'm not really that hungry to begin with," Madelyn told her.

"I'll figure it out then while I get the cookies ready for you."

Madelyn smiled and then didn't wait another moment before heading up the stairs and taking her bags with her. This was just the beginning of this journey and she was excited to find out what came next...to discover the life she never lived...and to know the family there that she had never been able to experience.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Taking her time, Madelyn took her time snooping through Mackenzie's things. Her room was 'clean', she supposed. Her mother would have not approved, though. Mackenzie had things stuffed under the bed and had just thrown things into the closet. Her twin's desk was a mess and she had absolutely no idea how Mackenzie was productive at all.

No matter how she knew her mother would disapprove or how Madelyn disapproved (likely from being raised by Felicity Smoak rather than Oliver Queen), it was still like stepping through the looking glass. There were pictures of Mackenzie with their father and with Sara along with pictures of her with whom Madelyn had to assume were her twin's friends. She kept thinking about how life might have been different if she'd lived in Washington like Mackenzie...of course, her life would have been COMPLETELY different if her mother had actually STAYED with her father. If they'd actually been ONE family...together.

Something caught her attention in her peripheral.

Moving to the window as quick as she could, her hands rested on the window sill as she stared outward. Outside was the person that she'd been waiting to meet. The person that she hadn't ever thought she'd meet.

Oliver Queen.

Her father.

He wasn't alone, though. He was holding hands with someone. Madelyn frowned and then bit her bottom lip. She did not approve of this. Mackenzie hadn't said anything about him having a girlfriend. Sara had been telling her about the beard...and from this angle she definitely didn't approve...and she'd not thought about it at the time, but was she trying to tell her about this?

Pulling out her cell phone, she held it up and took a picture of the two and then sent it to Mackenzie. They'd thought about switching phones, but keeping their regular ones was easier and they were nearly identical in exterior appearance. She stared at the screen, squinting and trying to WILL an immediate response.

Madelyn stared out the window. Mackenzie hadn't brought a whole lot of pictures with her, just three...and this woman standing with her father and looking both far too happy and far too touchy wasn't in any of them.

"Kenzi! Your dad's home!" Sara called up.

She already knew.

"I'll be down!" Madelyn called.

It was still a little odd being called her twin's name...or having a twin. Madelyn thought that she was coping fairly well though. She glanced out the window again and cringed. They were kissing. She started to quickly text her twin. She didn't care if she was on a plane or what was going on...this was a red alert!

\- -  
_Madelyn Smoak: Okay, I know that you're likely busy or on a plane...but we have a BIG problem! Who is that woman in the picture I sent you with Dad? Do you know her? It's way more than hand holding! It's KISSING! You didn't say that he was seeing anyone or that there was anything serious! I'm freaking out here, Kenzi, and I haven't even officially MET him yet! Get back to me ASAP._  
\- -

Sighing in frustration, she tucked the phone into her jacket pocket before heading downstairs. She just might get more information on who the woman was and who she was to Dad before Mackenzie got back to her.

When she made it downstairs, she expected to actually have time with her dad. She expected to have time to really get a sense of him. From the look of things, though, the woman that she'd caught Dad holding hands AND kissing was staying for dinner.

Joy.

"Dad!" she exclaimed and for a moment, she really struggled with speaking in an American accent. It was silly, she knew, but she'd been so nervous. Madelyn hurried towards him, ignoring Speedy's barks of protest. She hugged him and just held him tightly, inhaling his scent. He smelled like earth and ugh--her perfume. Madelyn hadn't sniffed the woman, but it was obviously a woman's perfume and it wasn't what Sara wore.

"Kiddo! I missed you something fierce!" Oliver told his daughter brightly as he hugged her tightly before pulling back. His hands were on her shoulders as he looked her over. "Did you grow?"

"Probably," she responded with a laugh. Madelyn made a face. She'd definitely decided about the additional facial hair. "And what did you do to your face?!" Madelyn exclaimed as she reached out to touch the scruff. "Seriously, Dad! You could have at least used your razor while I was gone!"

He looked crestfallen. "You don't like it?" Oliver asked.

Madelyn shook her head.

"Well, I think he looks RUGGED," the hand holding, kissing her dad woman interrupted.

Madelyn didn't like her.

"I think he looks weird," Madelyn complained. "Honestly...if you wanted to do something crazy you could have gotten a tattoo while I was gone."

Oliver looked over to Sara. "You coached her, didn't you?"

Sara just laughed in response. "If it were only THAT easy...I would have had her CALL you from camp...or write to you to shave by the time she got here in order to minimize her traumatization," she teased.

It took a moment and for a moment, Madelyn worried that she'd said the wrong thing. He seemed to tilt his head to one side and then the other, she figured that he was thinking over what was said. His fingers roamed his scruff and he twisted his mouth a bit. "I didn't think it was THAT bad."

"You don't look like my dad," Madelyn added for good measure.

That seemed to hit it home.

"Well, tomorrow I'll make sure I take extra time to part with all this," Oliver said as he ran his fingers across his facial hair a bit more.

That was fairly easy.

"Hey Kiddo, I know it's your first night back...but you don't mind Laurel having dinner with us, do you?" Oliver asked her.

She'd really wanted it to be just her and her dad...or them plus Sara (because Sara was awesome). "I really had thought it would just be US," Madelyn said slowly and caught the cold look from the woman. "You know...FAMILY dinner."

"Well, Laurel IS Sara's sister...so that makes her family, too, right?"

Well, crap.

"I guess you're right," Madelyn said sugary sweet and threw Laurel an equally as fakely sweet smile. She was NOT looking forward to this. Mackenzie hadn't mentioned Laurel OR Sara having a sister OR Dad having a love interest.

Dinner would be interesting.

Pulling out her phone from her jacket, she checked it for messages quickly. She frowned when nothing came through.

"Expecting a call?" Laurel asked.

Madelyn looked at the woman and glared a bit. "I was just checking to see if my friend had texted me. I asked her to let me know when she got home okay, she lives overseas."

"I'm sure she's on her flight then," Sara spoke up cheerily.

"Why don't we head over to the dining room?" Oliver asked.

Red flag.

Red flag.

Red flag!

This was one thing that she knew for sure, the Queen family (Sara included), didn't actually use the dining room unless it was Christmas or Thanksgiving...and that was only if they had special guests over. If Laurel was Sara's sister...then she definitely wasn't a 'special' guest, especially because Madelyn had caught the woman kissing her father and holding hands with him.

"Why would we do that?" Madelyn asked, trying to add in some Mackenzie attitude.

"I thought it might be fun to do something different," Oliver replied.

Madelyn just stared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. She'd noticed that her twin did that a lot while leaning back just a bit. She hoped that this was the proper moment to use that move. "I just got home from camp...I don't want to sit in the uncomfortable wooden chairs…" she complained. "I just want it to be like actually being HOME...I still have to tell you all about camp."

"Which I am so excited to hear about, but--"

"I'm sure Laurel won't mind us sitting outside on the porch or having dinner on the couch," Madelyn said quickly. She put on a sugary sweet smile with matching tone as she looked towards the woman in question. "Right?"

Laurel seemed to be taken aback by what was going back and forth and Madelyn had obviously caught her off guard. "Uh--right," Laurel finally got out.

"Great! Then it's settled!"

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

TBC...


	6. Feelings

**= En Route to London =**

 

The flight was long and Mackenzie had been nervous throughout the entire flight. She kept worrying that Diggle would realize that she wasn't Madelyn. Thoughts about if her mother would like her also hit her. After all, their parents had each taken a kid and split. That was it. What if her mother had seen something in baby her that she hadn't liked...if there was a REASON she'd picked Madelyn. What if she just didn't want her?

Mackenzie had grown up thinking about WHY her mother hadn't been in her life. Her dad had always told her 'sometimes you just don't have a mom'...which lasted for a short period of time. Sara would always tell her 'sometimes things happen between people who love each other and they have to part ways', but always stressing that her mother loved her. How did Sara know? She'd always tried to ask Sara questions, but she'd always kept quiet. Mackenzie didn't know if it was because she'd felt like it wasn't her place or because her dad had asked her not to say anything. Likely, it was both...but Sara was leaning towards the former.

There had been this intense excitement to finally meet her mother and get to know her...and never once when they'd been hatching their plan had Mackenzie thought about this. How hard it was going to be to act like Madelyn and keep from asking and digging for the questions that she so desperately wanted answered.

"How long have you known my mother?" Mackenzie asked.

It hit her a beat after that Madelyn likely knew the answer to her question, but she had to think of herself too. There were things that she needed to know. This was just a stepping stone.

"I have known your mother since before you were born," Diggle told her with a smile. "Actually...the first time I met your mother...I had a job for her."

"What kind of job?"

"A...person...I used to know...needed the contents of a laptop restored," Diggle told her. He let out a short laugh. "He'd spilled coffee all over it and then dropped it about ten times…"

"And did she save the information on it?"

Diggle nodded slowly. "She did manage to transfer it successfully."

"But that wasn't it…"

"Why all the questions?" Diggle asked. He didn't sound suspicious, but rather curious.

Mackenzie thought about her response for a moment. "I guess...I just was thinking a lot about my family...how it all first happened...before I was born… Mom never really talks about the past. Isn't that weird? Don't most people talk about the past?" Mackenzie rambled on at a mile a minute.

He smirked. "You sound a lot like your mom right now."

"Do I?" she asked as a smile graced her lips. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Mackenzie really didn't know. From everything that Madelyn had told her, it was a good thing...but in the back of her mind, she kept thinking that she'd been given up and basically abandoned. Why would her mother do something like that? Why would ANYONE do that?

"You know you do,” Diggle told her. “Today you just must really be channeling your mom.”

“You know what we haven’t talked about?”

“What your mother forbid you from discussing with me?”

Mackenzie smirked. “Come on, you spent the ENTIRETY of your summer with her…”

“Lyla and I aren’t THAT serious…”

“Why not?”

“She doesn’t want to live in London and I don’t want to give up my job,” Diggle explained. “You know, sometimes it’s just the wrong time for people…”

“But you LOVE her.”

“I do,” he said and stared at her for a moment.

She could see him waiver for a moment. Like there was something he SAW in her. She looked creepily like her twin. There was no way that he could tell the difference, right? “Then there shouldn’t be a problem.” There was a quiet pause between them and then she shrugged, “Love is love.”

“There’s something different about you, Maddie.”

“I’ve spent the entire summer at camp…” she brushed off. “I’ve probably grown a couple of inches.”

“It’s not that.”

“I may have been gone, but I haven’t changed.”

He just smiled at her and shook his head. “I’m going to figure it out.”

And that scared her a bit.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

**= London =**

 

She’d never been abroad. Well, she’d been to Canada, but she’d never considered that ‘abroad’…it was more like visiting a neighbor. Canada was RIGHT there, it was like how could they not go and visit? But London… Mackenzie was wondering if Madelyn was surviving back in Walla Walla, Washington. Right now, Mackenzie was so ready to sleep for an entire weekend. She’d slept a bit on the plane, but it hadn’t been enough and it hadn’t been restful.

“My phone,” she whispered as she scrambled to turn it back on.

“Expecting a call or something?” Diggle questioned in amusement. He got serious a moment later. “We did send you to an all girls camp, right? It’s not like a boyfriend? I’m not ready to have to go and deal with boyfriends yet.”

Mackenzie let out a laugh. “No…no…” She turned on her phone and waited for it to load. “A friend I met at camp. We exchanged information and I told her that I’d keep in touch. She wanted me to let her know when I arrived safely home.”

“Where did you meet her? Book club?” he joked.

“Didn’t really get that much reading done.”

“Told you that when you insisted on bringing all that reading material.”

When the phone finally came on, she noticed the frantic message from her twin. It took her a moment to really take in what the message said and to figure out what she was saying.

Laurel.

Crap.

Laurel and Dad.

Crap.

Laurel Lance was not only Sara’s sister, but had grown up with Dad…they were the same age and they’d dated off and on throughout middle and high school. They just hadn’t been serious ever since then. They’d remained friends and there was always a tension between them, but Mackenzie hadn’t noticed that there was anything ROMANTIC going on between them. There was no way that they’d hidden it from her. Did it really all blossom over ONE summer?

_—_   
_Mackenzie Queen: Laurel_   
_r u srs?_   
_please tell me that they’re not 2gether?   like together 2gether_   
_Madelyn Smoak: She’s horrible. We hate her, right? I mean, we have to hate her. She’s definitely someone that I dislike. We dislike her, right? I mean, I don’t know if they’re really together or not. All I know is that she stayed for dinner and Dad tried to get us to eat in the DINING ROOM._   
_Mackenzie Queen: OMG SHUT UP_   
_DID U?!_   
_Madelyn Smoak: No. I insisted we eat like normal and that it was my first night back and I’m pretty sure I glared Laurel into agreeing._   
_Mackenzie Queen: Gr8 job Maddie_   
_Madelyn Smoak: This is seriously a code red, Kenzi. It’s not even a joke. What are we going to do?_   
_Mackenzie Queen: I JUST got to London_   
_Also shouldn’t u be sleeping_   
_Madelyn Smoak: YES! I SHOULD! BUT THIS IS SERIOUS, KENZI!_   
_RED ALERT!!!!!!_   
_Dad and Laurel are DATING!_   
_Mackenzie Queen: It can’t be SRS_   
_Madelyn Smoak: You should have SEEN them at dinner!_   
_Holding hands at the table!_   
_Mackenzie Queen: What does Sara say_   
_Madelyn Smoak: I haven’t really gotten to talk to her yet. Speedy keeps freaking out around me and she suspects something ‘different’ about me._   
_Mackenzie Queen: Yea Digg has said that 2_   
_—_

 “We’re here, Maddie,” Digg said as they pulled up to a house. It looked so different than the house that she’d grown up in. It looked like something out of some sophisticated movie. “You might want to stow the phone. Pretty sure your mom is going to want to hug you for five hours straight, let you eat something, and then hug you until bedtime.”

She nodded, her head bowed.

Tears were pushing forward.

This was it.

She was going to meet her mom.

 _—_  
 _Mackenzie Queen: g2g Maddie_  
 _we just got home_  
 _txt you l8r_  
—

 

Tucking the phone in her pocket, she tried to calm her nerves…her emotions…everything inside of her that wanted to burst. She was going to meet her mother, it brought on happy and upset feelings. Why had she given her up? Why had they split her up? She knew that it wasn’t just her mother that she needed to be upset with, but her father as well. They both obviously had made these decisions, but somehow…because she was going to see her mom…she felt like placing more of the blame on her right now.

None of this had been fair.

But…this was her mom.

Telling herself to suck it up, she got out of the car and was trying to help Diggle, but he insisted on hauling all of her luggage to the house.

Deep breaths.

Deep breaths.

One step at a time.

It was a blur of her mantra to herself, the journey from the car to the front door. Inside, she found this perfectly put together foyer. The inside looked just as much from a movie as the outside except that the interior was completely modern. Mackenzie knew that her mother was into tech…the interior suggested that for sure.

“MADELYN!”

The sound of her mother’s voice.

Mom.

Mum.

God, how she wished that it was HER name.

The sight of her…her pictures didn’t do her justice. Felicity Smoak…HER MOTHER…was the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen. Suddenly, she was being hugged and hugged differently than she was used to. Sara hugged her all the time…and Dad…but not like this. She was being held on to so tightly, her mother holding the back of her head while the other hand was wrapped under her shoulder blade.

“I’ve missed you so much!” Felicity whispered.

Being mad, at least in that moment, it melted all away…but not the emotions. She held onto her mother for dear life and found herself sobbing in response.

“Hey,” Felicity said suddenly and pulled back until their eyes met. “You okay? Was I hugging too tight?”

That forced out a laugh from Mackenzie and she didn’t know how she could hate her. Their parents had a lot to explain about, though. “I don’t thinking hugging TOO TIGHT is a possibility…or a bad thing.” She just grinned and hugged her now. “I’ve missed you!”

“Maybe no camp next year.”

Diggle laughed now. “I think you got too lonely.”

“I actually had company,” Felicity said as she continued to hug her daughter.

There was suddenly a high pitched squeal. “Oh my God! Did I miss my Maddie coming home?!”

This woman, Mackenzie knew, but she hadn’t expected to see. For some reason, she was GLAD that she was there. “Nan,” she whispered when the sight of Donna Smoak came into her line of sight.

Madelyn had told her all kinds of stories about ‘Nan’ and Las Vegas. Mackenzie had been to Las Vegas and it wasn’t as bad as Madelyn made it out to be…and how her grandmother dressed…it was definitely fitting of a woman who lived in and worked in Las Vegas…and Mackenzie thought it was fabulous.

Soon, all three of them were hugging together. She’d caught a brief glimpse of Diggle shaking his head and walking off. He’d already sat through car rides and in airports and on planes with her…she was no longer shiny and new in his eyes…at least not in that moment. It was probably better that way, for them not all bombarding her with hugs and having to act just like her twin would simultaneously.

“We are going to have SO MUCH FUN now that you are home!” Donna proclaimed.

She heard her mom groan a bit and Mackenzie couldn’t stop smiling.

“Maybe let her breathe,” Diggle said a few minutes later from across the room, there was amusement clearly in his voice.

Felicity moved back, releasing her, and was just smiling so brightly. “Sorry. I just couldn’t help it. I think that’s the longest we’ve ever been apart…”

If she only knew.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Eventually, she was released and allowed to go up to her room. Really, all she wanted to do was to sleep. She’d agree to eat, though. Her mom was ordering in Chinese and Mackenzie was super excited. She just hoped that they ordered normal Chinese stuff. Chinese to go food was the same everywhere, wasn’t it?

Laying back on the bed, she stared at the phone.

 

—  
_Mackenzie Queen: Mom is wonderful_  
 _Nan is here_  
 _Madelyn Smoak: Nan is there?_  
 _Mackenzie Queen: You need to sleep sometime_  
 _Madelyn Smoak: You try sleeping knowing that things aren’t going the correct and properly planned way. This was not in the plan! Us getting to know our respective absent parents and THEN getting them together…THAT was the plan._  
 _Mackenzie Queen: talk 2 Sara_  
 _dont freak out until then_  
 _sleep_  
—

 

If she had already known Mom, then she’d just want to go straight home to try to make sure that nothing serious happened between Dad and Laurel. It was just frustrating because she wanted…she NEEDED that time. Mackenzie felt like she DESERVED that time.

She didn’t want to give it up.

Once Madelyn talked to Sara, then she knew that she’d be able to better determine what to the worry level was at. Right now, though, other than being exhausted…she was going to try to enjoy being with her mother and her grandmother as much as possible.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Chinese was better in London.

Mackenzie wasn’t sure if it was better or worse that the Chinese was better there. She could seriously eat it every single day. She already knew that she was going to miss it once she was back in Walla Walla. The Chinese place near the vineyard was not THIS good…and Sara never quite figured out the best way to make this particular cuisine.

“This is like the BEST food,” Mackenzie went on as she ate.

“They DID feed you at camp, right?” Felicity asked, concern obvious in her voice.

“No food is quite like THIS food.”

“She was probably just homesick,” Nan said. “And jet lagged… Poor thing’s been through a lot already today.”

Nan had no earthly idea.

She’d already devoured one plateful and was on her second. She had no idea if Madelyn enjoyed Chinese so much, but she was really enjoying it…and she wasn’t going to hold back. The food was just too good.

“So, you made friends at camp,” Diggle prompted.

“Yeah…there were some great girls there,” Mackenzie rambled. “I mean…there were girls from all over and it was nice because it seemed like everyone was good at something…and I think that we really all learned from each other and really grew as people.”

She had no idea where that response had come from.

“Did anyone beat you at poker?” Diggle questioned.

“There was this one girl…”

“Was she the one you were texting?”

“Actually, she was…we sort of became like…sisters,” Mackenzie said. She looked around, but no one seemed fazed by her usage of that word.

“Well, that’s so sweet and nice,” Felicity told her. “Where does she live?”

“Washington…in the US.”

“Hopefully you two can Skype and stuff,” Felicity said. “That would be good for you two.”

Madelyn didn’t really have that many friends, but Mackenzie had realized when she said that…she really didn’t either. She’d have a few friends here and there, but none of them were close. She had wondered if Madelyn was the reason why. If in the back of her mind, if she’d known that there was someone else out there that was supposed to complete her in some way.

“Yeah, that’s the plan.”

“What else did you and your friend do?” Nan asked. “You had to have your favorite activities.”

“Fencing…” she said and had to think about the question for a moment. Once they were put together, they’d spent a lot more time together. They’d done other things…activities at camp…but it hadn’t stood out like being and learning about her twin had been. “Cards… They had this really cool inflatable obstacle course thing…that was really cool.”

“What is this girls’ name?”

Crap.

She couldn’t say Mackenzie or even Kenzi…she was fairly sure that both would raise red flags with them. She couldn’t do that…not yet. Mackenzie hadn’t been able to learn that much about her mom or spend time with her. “Cassie,” she finally came up with. Now, she realized, she needed to remember that.

“Cassie,” her mom repeated. “I look forward to waving at her, at least, when you two do finally Skype.”

“Yeah…that would be…great.”

Her nerves were flailing again and Mackenzie turned to concentrating on her dinner and then remembered that she could easily used the fact that she was tired and jet lagged (both true and valid things) as excuses to get her out of things. She’d glance at Diggle every now and then, trying to gauge if he was suspicious or not…she was just so worried that she was going to be found out before she could even make it to bed time.

“Tell us more about camp, Sweetie,” Nan encouraged.

Tell the truth (well, most of it) and don’t use her own name.

Maybe she could do that.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

TBC…


	7. Truths

**= Walla Walla =**

 

"You've been really quiet since you've gotten home," Sara brought up as Madelyn read on the couch. She'd been there a week already and it felt so weird. Madelyn didn't know quite how to explain it. The one thing that she knew for certain was that she deeply missed home and her mom. Reading was the only thing that tended to keep her from getting too homesick, likely because the story she was reading's setting was London. "And you've been reading… Since when do you read?"

"I told you, I picked up some GOOD habits at camp, too," Madelyn told her, not looking up from her book. At least the dog had stopped barking at her every chance it got. Actually, Speedy had really warmed up to her and was currently acting as an ottoman. Speedy had worked her way under her legs, which were propped up on the coffee table. In this household, apparently they didn't care about elbows on tables or feet up on furniture. It was freeing, actually.

"Kenzi, you remember you can talk to me, right?"

Madelyn had wanted to talk to Sara. Her twin had made it clear that Sara could be trusted, though they hadn't talked about her coming clean about being Madelyn Smoak, but...it had crossed HER mind. She felt like she needed someone on her side. She felt like Sara was going to treat her weird knowing that there was something different (because she was Madelyn and not Mackenzie) until she KNEW why she was acting different. Maybe Sara would answer her questions more honestly. She looked up and stared at Sara for a long time.

"What?"

"I was thinking about something?"

"About what?"

"About decisions."

Sara sat down next to her. She stared at her for a long moment. "Kenzi," she said as she took her hand and kept her eyes on Madelyn's. "I know I'm not your mom...I've never tried to be, but I want you to remember that whatever's going on with you...no matter what...I'm here for you."

"You've known dad for so long…" Madelyn said. She was trying to figure out how to bring things up. How to change the conversation her way without Sara pulling away from the conversation she wanted to have. "How long did you know my mum?" she asked, letting her British slip through.

Sara just stared at her for a long moment, before finally blinking rapidly. "I--I knew--" It was like she could see the gears turning in Sara's head. Madelyn knew that she should have talked to Madelyn first, but she wasn't seeing this...wasn't seeing Dad falling stupidly in love with Laurel. Madelyn just couldn't stand it. It made her sick and Laurel was not very kind towards her. Madelyn just didn't think that Laurel was one of those people who were good with children, she was one of those people who would be content as a trophy wife (not that that was what Dad wanted...or needed).

Tears suddenly fell down Sara's face. "I knew your mother when we were younger...but I didn't know her nearly as well as your dad…" Sara admitted. She shrugged and paused for a moment. "I guess that's why I felt like I needed to stay close to your dad...to you--well, to Mackenzie...because...because you're Madelyn," she whispered. Sara was suddenly sobbing and throwing her arms around Madelyn.

It was contagious. Madelyn was crying. It was such a relief to have someone know that she was Madelyn. Sara held her, tight and hard. She was holding her differently than she had before.

"I think about you every day...and you've been here all this time," Sara babbled on. "I knew that there was something different…"

And she had.

"Please don't tell Dad...not yet," Madelyn begged into her ear as she held on tight. "I can explain."

"Where's Kenzi? She's okay?" Sara asked a moment later as she pulled back to look at Madelyn.

"She's fine," Madelyn assured as she wiped tears away. "She's in London with Mum and Diggle."

"Diggle," Sara said with a smile. "He's still around, huh?"

"He's my...you...sort of...I guess," Madelyn admitted with a shrug.

"Good, you needed someone else to be there for you," Sara told her. She held Madelyn's face for a moment, tears still coming. It was like she just couldn't believe what she was seeing, that Madelyn was right there. "I just...I can't believe it… I know I probably seem crazy… I just love you...BOTH of you...like you're my own… I've hated keeping the secret."

"Why was it a secret?"

Before Sara could explain, though, the sound of laughter broke up their conversation. Madelyn was quickly wiping her face and trying to look as casual as possible reading on the couch. She watched as Sara tried to regain her composure as well.

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Dad asked as he paused.

"Sara? Have you been crying?" Laurel asked.

"No, I just...I--okay, I was watching the end of this Lifetime movie...it's not my fault," Sara lied straight to her sister's face...and she was good at it. "I swear they seep out hormones out of that channel during their movies…"

Laurel just seemed confused, though Madelyn was fairly sure that wasn't hard to do.

"What do you two have planned today?" Madelyn asked him.

"I was actually thinking that the three of us could go out to dinner," he brought up.

Madelyn shut her book, sat up straight, and tried to put on her cheeriest voice. "Oh, I'd LOVE to go to dinner with you and Sara!" She didn't miss Laurel's eyeroll. In fact, she was quite amused by it. She also didn't miss her dad's look of confusion for a moment, he was adorable when he was confused.

"Actually, I meant...you, me, and LAUREL," Oliver corrected.

"Oh," she responded with a frown. "No...it's okay… I'll stay home. Eat ice cream, watching movies, and cry here on the couch with Sara…"

Oliver was obviously not pleased by her response. She couldn't help it, though, she really didn't like Laurel. She'd rubbed her the wrong way. Madelyn supposed that it was easier this way, Laurel could be awesome and a lovely person in general...she didn't think Laurel was, though.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

"You have to tell him, I'm surprised that he let you stay home with me," Sara told Madelyn as they sat eating ice cream and watching movies on the couch.

"It's the preteen years...they're super worried about hormones and mood swings," Madelyn told her seriously.

"Do you like London?"

"I love it."

"How's your mom?"

"Busy," Madelyn said with a nod. "I think she's worried that somehow Las Vegas is going to kidnap Nan or something...or make her more...ostentatious than she already is."

"Oh, Donna...I've missed her! She's so fun!"

"She's quite loud."

There was a long pause.

Madelyn turned to Sara. "Tell me what happened...all those years ago…"

"Your parents--"

"My mum's in London," Madelyn reminded. "And apparently my dad can't do anything without Laurel…so, that leaves YOU."

"Your parents loved each other," Sara explained. "We were all so young then…"

"I know Mum was young," Madelyn said. "But I don't even know how they met or if they were even ever married...and why they decided to separate us...to keep us from each other...to keep me from my father and Mackenzie from her mother."

"Don't think that that last one was an easy decision," Sara cautioned her. "I'm sure that this has to be hard...that you're probably mad--"

"I'm so many emotions…"

"They did the best they could, not only for the two of you...but for themselves, too, at the time," Sara told her. "I was there, remember? I'm a witness."

"But they loved each other...and obviously US...so why would they do that? What was so bad that happened?"

"It's more complicated than that."

"Life's complicated, but I still want to hear the story."

"I hate to speak ill of the dead."

"I need to hear the story, Sara," Madelyn insisted. "Please…"

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

_Madelyn Smoak: I found out what happened today. I don't know what to think. You're right, though. Sara is awesome. You're so lucky to have had her._

 

_Mackenzie Queen: wut did she say_

 

_Madelyn Smoak: Our parents were happy. They were young. They were engaged, but they hadn't gotten to the whole marriage part. We came along and apparently our grandmother caused some problems...and it broke up things between them. Mom had us and our grandmother wanted to fight for both of us to live with Dad...instead, they came to the compromise that since there were two of us...that we'd be separated. Mom didn't want to have anything to do with Dad or his side of the family, so they decided to just keep things separate._

_Mackenzie Queen: Grandma Moira_

_Madelyn Smoak: Yes._

_Mackenzie Queen: she's gone_

_Madelyn Smoak: Well, I guess they got so used to how things were...that Dad didn't feel the need to track Mom or I down. Diggle...Sara...Dad...Mom...they were all friends before…_

_Mackenzie Queen: where did they meet_

_Madelyn Smoak: School apparently… I think I upset Sara more than I was upset by things. I don't know if it was high school or college._

_Mackenzie Queen: dads not really the college type_

_Madelyn Smoak: He might have TRIED._

_Mackenzie Queen: maybe_

_Madelyn Smoak: From what I gathered, though...Nan might have aided Grandma Moira in breaking Mom and Dad up._

_Mackenzie Queen: laurel is not going 2 be my new mom_

_Madelyn Smoak: How do you suggest we go about breaking them up?_

_Mackenzie Queen: mom & dad should be 2gether_

_Madelyn Smoak: WE should be together._

_Mackenzie Queen: find out more if you can_

_Madelyn Smoak: Try on your end. Diggle will know the story, too. Maybe he can fill in some of the gaps. He's not as open as Sara, but he might tell you something...especially if you tell him who you are._

_Mackenzie Queen: …wut_

_Madelyn Smoak: Sara knows._

_Mackenzie Queen: r u crazy_

_Madelyn Smoak: There was a lot of crying._

_Mackenzie Queen: idk that i can_

_Madelyn Smoak: He loves me. He's going to love you. Just tell him, Kenzi._

_Mackenzie Queen: ill think about it_

Madelyn Smoak: Think fast.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

"I talked to Kenzi."

"How is she?"

"She's worried about Dad and Laurel."

Sara made a face. "Nothing much she can do from London."

"Are they REALLY serious?"

"I'm afraid to even suggest the level of seriousness."

"But you said he and Mom--"

Sara let out a sigh. "I know it had to be a lot for you to take in."

"You didn't tell me everything," Madelyn pointed out as they sat out on the porch swing. Dad was out with Laurel and they weren't due back for hours. They had been sitting out there, Speedy laying on the deck under them, as they just enjoyed the vineyard that made up part of her backyard. "Tell me about them...when they were young and in love...before everything went south."

"Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Madelyn shrugged. "I feel like if I'm going to be forced to be sent back to London and unable to see my twin and my father until I'm eighteen--"

"Whoa...whoa…" Sara said quickly putting her hands up. "Let's think this through… If Felicity and Oliver KNOW that you two KNOW...they're not going to keep you two from each other and keep you from the other parent… I mean, they'll have to adjust their agreement, but they won't keep things how they are." She was quiet for a moment. "Though...I really don't see any GOOD way to adjust the agreement. You and your mom live halfway across the world."

"Please...tell me."

"Your mom...she was different then…"

"Different how?"

"She was going through a phase when we were all first friends…"

"Star Wars? Star Trek? I swear, you're not going to shock me…"

"Goth."

Madelyn just stared at Sara. "Seriously? Please tell me that there's photographic evidence."

"Nose ring. Black hair with purple streaks. The whole thing," Sara told her. "She was badass even then."

"I can't even FATHOM my mother like that," Madelyn admitted. She REALLY needed to see pictures. She wanted to KNOW that part of her mother's life.

"We met in college. Diggle had come back from a tour of service and decided that he wanted to actually do the college thing...he and I actually met first. We had a criminal justice class together. Eventually...we all came together. Your grandfather, Robert...he paid Oliver's way in… I think he hoped that your dad would get through his bad boy phase and something would click for him if he went to college with people he knew."

"Instead, he met Mom?"

Sara nodded. "Your mom had a full scholarship. She could hack anything. I told you, she was going through a phase...so just picture your mom as goth and this badass young hacker wanting to find her place in the world...and your dad...the bad boy influence… Moira and Donna did not approve...which was interesting since from what I understood it was pretty much the first time that Donna really took an invested interest in Felicity's life at school."

"But you said that they were engaged."

"They did get engaged. Your dad fell stupidly in love with your mom...like so much so that he was figuring out how school works. He stopped drinking. He stopped partying. He started to actually STUDY. He was determined to be a good man. He wanted to prove that he was good enough for your mom."

"Neither of them seem like the same person as you're talking about," Madelyn pointed out.

"I'm sure they're not."

"Your mom gave up the whole goth thing… She stopped hacking to save the world and was focusing on just burning through classes towards her degree," Sara explained. "We were all so happy then… Your mother made him so happy. I grew up with Oliver, you know...since we were younger than you and Kenzi… Felicity made Oliver into the kind of person that he was always meant to be...she saw the potential inside of him and he made it happen."

"See, they have to come back together."

"It's been a long time, Maddie," Sara reminded. "It took them a long time to fall in love...in that kind of love…"

"But they LOVED each other."

"They did. I'm sure that your dad still loves your mother. How could he not?"

"Mom got pregnant."

"Yeah...but they were already engaged before that."

"You would think that Nan would have approved."

"I think mostly Moira and Donna just butted heads. Plus, Donna never liked that Moira never thought that Felicity was RIGHT for Oliver...like she was never enough or good enough…"

"So everything just screwed up after that?"

"It took MONTHS, but you get the basic idea...it was a downward spiral," Sara explained. "There were a lot of fights. There was a lot of crying. Even though what they did was the hardest decision they probably thought they'd ever make in their lives...I could see how much love was still in them both. I really honestly kept thinking that within a year that they'd be back together...but your dad never made contact with her. I think it was because he was so determined to be the best father to Kenzi. He had a hard time… He gave up finishing school."

"Even with everything that happened...they seemed to both have made it okay."

"I keep tabs on Felicity. You're right with that."

"Did Moira give this to Dad? The vineyard?"

Sara shook her head. "No. I mean, some of the money...it's Queen family money, but mostly...it's from what he made it to be. He wanted to make sure that there was plenty of money for Thea...your aunt."

"Whom I hope to meet."

"You will. She should be coming next week."

"If I'm still here then."

"Are you thinking about telling your dad?"

"Do you think I should?"

"Yes," Sara said quickly. "I think you should tell him soon."

"Kenzi said that she felt like she hadn't had that much time to know Mom...though, to be fair...I've probably seen Dad less because he's always out with Laurel…"

"So, make him see that there's a huge reason for him to be here."

"I still just don't know…"

"Think about it, Maddie...it has to come out sometime."

Sometime.

"I need more time," Madelyn finally said, unable to really come to terms with what she should do. She knew that Sara was logically right, they couldn't keep doing this. It was hard having him not know, there was a weight on her. It wasn't just him thinking she was Mackenzie, but that she had questions and she wanted to know how he was treat HER. Would he still love her? Would he be proud of her? Would he have better answers to her questions? Would she remind him too much of her mother?

Too many questions.

Not enough answers.

All she wanted...was to be herself.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

TBC...


	8. Coming Clean

= London = 

 

Mackenzie was having a staring contest with Diggle. At first, it hadn't been an official competition, she'd just been staring at him...trying to figure out if she could REALLY trust him. At one point, DIggle had caught on to the fact that she was staring...and she didn't look away...so it had become a staring contest. He was obviously awesome and had skills...skills Maddie hadn't told her about. 

Staring.

Stoicness.

Slightly creepy.

These were all qualities that she thought were pretty awesome. She already knew that he was dynamite at poker, he'd taught Maddie all she knew (and she was pretty badass at cards). He was also ex-soldier, so there was that skill set. Mackenzie had also caught glimpse of him playing video games in his room...video games that she'd wanted to crash on and ask to play along...but she was fairly sure that that would have set off red flags. Mackenzie was fairly certain that Maddie didn't play video games, especially not Halo or Call of Duty or anything like that. 

"You do realize...that I know," Diggle said suddenly.

Mackenzie blinked.

He knew?

He knew what? 

"Uh, excuse me?"

Diggle's face was full of seriousness and Mackenzie was feeling sick. Like extremely sick. Did he know that she wasn't Madelyn? Did he know that they'd switched? She knew that she'd likely screwed up here and there, but she didn't think it was anything major. Her mom wasn't around, so at least there was that. 

"You know you'll feel better if you just come out and say it out loud," Diggle told her.

Tilting her head, she continued to stare at him. Was this a trick? Did it really matter? Obviously he had to know that there was SOMETHING. "That's just a trick adults play in order for them to get the kid to say something that they feel guilty about."

"You don't think that I actually know?" Diggle asked as he raised an eyebrow.

Mackenzie shrugged. "It's not your fault--"

"You've been acting off ever since I picked you up," Diggle pointed out. "Your mom's just written it off as being back from camp...from you growing up...but I know that's not true."

Mackenzie just stared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm a preteen...you can't expect me to just act the same forever…"

"I know."

"What do you know?"

"The thing that you think you've been so clever to keep a secret."

"Which is…?"

The two eyed each other for what seemed like an extremely long time. Mackenzie was certain that he was just bluffing. She was certain that he hadn't figured out that they'd switched. After all, who would have come to that conclusion so quickly? So easily? She just didn't think it was possible. If someone was going to catch on, wouldn't it be her mom? 

Of course, she'd sort of been avoiding her mom for the last day, so maybe...maybe that was a bad assumption. She'd honestly been trying to avoid everyone, but Diggle kept popping up. Of course, he was basically Madelyn's version of Sara...except Sara was cooler. 

It was like a game of poker...except just with the faces that was going on between them. Was he bluffing? Was she? Did he know? Was he banking on some assumption that she was some naive little girl? 

She wasn't.

"That you're Mackenzie."

Crap.

Her eyes widened and she just stared at him for the longest moment. His statement hadn't come angrily or anything. Diggle had been calm, collected, quiet, and almost sweet when he'd said it. A small smile had graced his lips at the end of it all. 

"How?" she questioned.

"I tracked the GPS on Maddie's phone," Diggle explained. "It showed her in Walla Walla,   
Washington...and when I looked further into things...I realized that Mackenzie Queen attended the same girls' summer camp...that you two must have pulled one over on all of us...switched places...but decided to keep your respective cell phones."

"Does--"

"Neither one of your parents know," Diggle assured. "Not yet."

"We just wanted to know the other parent," Mackenzie tried to explain. "I grew up with a Sara, but she was never my mom…"

"Of course not," Diggle said. "But Sara Lance is an amazing person."

"Maddie said you guys knew each other."

"That was another lifetime."

"What about MY life? What about Maddie's? Don't we deserve to have the life we deserve?"

"I'm not saying you're wrong…"

He was staring at her. "You can call me Kenzi…"

"Of course," Diggle said with a smile as he leaned back a bit. "Kenzi and Maddie."

"I'm the troublesome twin."

"I'll remember that."

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

"Mum?"

Mackenzie stood at the door to her mom's 'office', but it looked more like some kind of modern awesome lair of some sort. Screens everywhere. She swore, there might be more screens in the office than there were in a computer store. Her mother was sitting in the middle of it all, clacking away at the keyboard and looking like some kind of model. Mackenzie honestly didn't know how her mother just didn't do the awesomely smart thing and go to 'work' in her pajamas. Like, why not? Especially if you COULD.

"What do you need, Honey?" Felicity asked as she turned in her chair to face her. 

Mackenzie had taken full notice that her mother had taken her time to pull away from work and turned her attention to her. It was nice. For some reason, she hadn't expected that. What did she say? She knew that she HAD to tell her, but was NOW really the best time? Could she wait until later? "Are you really busy?" 

"It can wait," Felicity told her. "Anything can wait when it's you."

When it was her.

Only she wasn't Madelyn.

"Can we just get away for the day? Just the TWO of us?" Mackenzie asked. She wasn't sure how her mother would react to that, between needing to get work done and the fact that Diggle normally chaperone. This was something that she wasn't sure her twin would request. Mackenzie, though, thought it was important. If she was going to out herself...to out what had occurred at camp...to give away what she knew...she wanted to be able to have an entire day to really get to know her mom. 

"You know what?" Felicity said as she looked back to her computer and then back to her. A smile spread across her face. "I would really love that."

"You would?"

"I really would," Felicity said and ran her hands across the keyboards in front of her. The entire room dimmed, shutting down. She turned back to her before getting up and approaching Mackenzie. "So, what were you thinking?"

"Honestly?"

"Anything that you want," Felicity offered. "Though, you better think and speak quickly before Nan realizes we're going to make a run for it...she'll insist on tagging along."

She'd actually spent a lot of time with her grandmother since arriving in London. She was really cool and funny and just a lot of fun. As much as she might not normally mind having Nan tag along, this time...Mackenzie wanted it to just be her and her mom...because this might be the last and only time in her whole life that she were to be able to have that experience. "I honestly don't care… Out… Just the two of us… I don't even mind if we walk all day."

"I think I have just the idea," Felicity told her with a grin. "Go and get your coat. I'll meet you at the door in ten minutes."

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The day went by beautifully. 

Her mother, had let Diggle know that they'd be out for the day (and without him). So, Mackenzie was fairly certain that he was tracking their phones. That was fine. He could totally be big brother, eye in the sky...just as long as he let HER tell her mom that she was Mackenzie and that he didn't interfere with their day. 

"How about ice cream?" her mother asked.

"You know what I've sort of been craving all day?"

"And you haven't said anything before now?"

It was true.

She'd sort of just sat back and enjoyed the day. Mackenzie had wanted to spend a true free day with her mother. They'd walked through a park and just talked. Her mother had gone on about how she was thinking that this summer they should go on a holiday to all of these places that Mackenzie had only dreamed of going. Sure, her father had talked about going on trips, but this was a different kind of trip...it was a trip that would include shopping and eating and exploring new places...about living and experiencing life. Her father normally had an ulterior motive, something related to the vineyard. For her mother, it was just about getting away and spending time together.

When she'd first arrived at London, she'd worried and felt upset towards her mother...but the more she was in London...the more she grew upset towards her dad. Mackenzie felt like Madelyn had had things so good living and growing up with mom. She didn't want to give up on this life. It broke her heart to know that it was going to have to come to an end...and soon.

"Donuts."

"Donuts? Really?" 

"Is that okay?"

Felicity seemed to think about it for a moment and then shrugged. "As long as we can find a place that is still open." She paused for a moment. "But I think I might have just the place in mind…"

And she had.

They'd arrived some time later to Starling Coffee, which was actually not far from the house. It was a coffee house and they sold a wide variety of pastries and sweets, which included donuts. Her mother had ordered an entire box, figuring that Diggle would enjoy them. They found a table and Mackenzie was happy that it wasn't so busy at that hour. That, she figured, was likely because it was nearing the dinner hour. 

"I'm glad we spent the day together," Mackenzie told her.

"So am I," Felicity replied with a smile. "Sometimes, you know...I need to pull and push to leave home…"

"I didn't want to interrupt--"

"YOU, Madelyn, are never interrupting me," Felicity said gently as she reached out and placed a hand over her daughter's. Their eyes met and Mackenzie quickly looked away and pulled her hand back. "What's wrong?"

"That's just it," Mackenzie told her. It was time. She hated that it was, but there had to be a time where the truth came out. "I'm not Madelyn," she said finally as she looked away. She couldn't look at her mother, she was afraid of what might flash across her face. Would she understand? Would she be upset? Would she hate her? Would she freak out? Would she feel pity or something for her because she'd gone to such lengths--

"Mackenzie?" Felicity asked in a quiet gasp a few long minutes later. 

Finally, she looked up and what she found...was surprising. Why was it surprising? Though, it was contagious. Tears streamed from her bright blue eyes as she stared into her mother's. "It's me," she whispered. "Please don't be mad--"

"I can never be mad," Felicity rambled quickly and moved immediately to grab Mackenzie into a tight hug. At first, it was a bit jarring and unexpected, but Mackenzie held on, as if, for dear life. Tears flowed freely and she just sobbed as she held onto her mother. There was such relief, such a weight lifted off of her. "I've missed you. You don't know how I've missed you!" In between sobs and the tighter squeezes, her mother would babble on about how she had thought about her every moment of the day and had even gone so far as to keep track of her from London. How guilty she felt that they'd separated them and kept them separate...a secret...that at the time, it had seemed like the right...the best thing that they could do at the time.

And she wasn't mad.

"I love you, Mackenzie," Felicity whispered.

"I love you, too...Mom…" 

Mom.

She could actually say it the way that SHE would say it. She didn't have to play Madelyn anymore. She could be herself. For the first time since she'd arrived in London, she could REALLY be herself. She could be free.

"I don't know what we're going to do," her mother whispered as she continued to hold her. "But I promise you, we're going to figure it out…"

Mackenzie pulled back and stared at her mother. She didn't know honestly where she wanted to live or how they could really work this all out. All she knew was that she didn't think that she could live in either place...to be separated from her mother or her father or her twin. They'd already spent so much time apart. "Dad doesn't know yet," she finally told her as she wiped away her own tears. "I'm sorry we switched...that we tricked everyone, but I really just wanted to know what you were like...for myself...to actually experience having my actual mother."

Felicity was quiet, just staring at her as she kept wiping fresh tears away. She sucked in a shaky breath. "Madelyn's okay with your father then?"

Nodding, she twisted her mouth for a moment and then sucked in a breath herself. "She's okay. We've been texting. Sara knows, but--"

"Sara?" 

Mackenzie just stared at her and then nodded eventually. 

"Sara Lance?"

"Yeah," Mackenzie told her. "She sort of helped raise me...she's awesome…"

Felicity smiled at her. "She is… It's been a long time…"

"Maddie said that you all knew each other...before," Mackenzie offered. "I am hoping that you'll tell me the story of how you and dad met...and what happened between you two…"

"Hasn't your dad said anything?"

"I think Dad just likes to think that I don't realize that I should have a mom as well…"

"Mackenzie--"

"Kenzi," she corrected. 

Felicity smiled at her. "Kenzi," she said gently and with so much love in her voice. "I guess I'm likely guilty of doing the same thing with Madelyn…"

"Well, now...we're going to have to figure out a different way of doing things…"

And they would.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

TBC...


	9. Not My Father's Daughter

Walla Walla

 

"What on earth are you eating?"

"Beans...on...toast…" Madelyn replied slowly after setting a piece of toast back down on her plate and slowly turning her head to stare at her confused looking father. "It's quite delicious...want to try?" she offered.

"That's...really...polite...and proper...sounding…" Oliver said slowly and looked even more confused. "And you're drinking...tea? Hot tea?"

"My throat...was a little...scratchy…" Madelyn lied and turned her eyes towards Sara, who was sitting across from her, and then down to her cup of tea. "I figured that it would be a good idea to get a hot cup of tea...just to try to chase it away before it got serious."

"I honestly can't remember if I've ever HAD hot tea before," Oliver was suddenly saying.

How was she related to this man? Who had lived as long as he had, and that was obviously some time, and NOT had a proper cup of tea? She almost fell off her chair, in both shock and embarrassment. This was her father, he honestly couldn't say that he'd lived a full life if he'd never had TEA! "I'd be happy to make you a proper cup...though...you don't have PROPER cups...you have mugs."

"There's a difference?"

Madelyn just stared at him long and hard. She heard the giggle that Sara had been trying to suppress, but couldn't help it. Mackenzie likely wouldn't know this, but she could use the excuse that she learned about it at camp. She highly doubted that her father would doubt that as an excuse for her knowledge set. "Of course, but I suppose in this instance...it doesn't matter…"

"Where did you learn all of this about tea?" 

There it was.

"Wasn't from me," Sara mumbled. 

"Camp Walden," she replied matter of factly. Madelyn hadn't missed the amused look that Sara gave as she watched them. Instead, she ignored Sara for the time being and went to work putting together the perfect cup of tea. "It has to steep first," she informed him and let the bag sit in the water as she took notice of the time. It needed to steep for a specific amount of time, untouched. So when Oliver reached across to grab the mug, she spoke up quickly. "You can't take it yet."

"Why not?" Oliver questioned as he stared at her.

"The tea bag has to be removed."

"Don't you have to swirl it around or--"

"Absolutely not!"

"It's been in there--"

"Not enough time yet!"

"How do you know?"

Madelyn eyed him for a moment and then the clock and then back to him. "I just know," she told him quietly. 

"Now?"

"Patience," Madelyn chided.

"Now?"

She didn't even give him a response. Instead, she eyed the clock and waited until it fell upon the correct number. "Now," she said and removed the tea bag properly before scooting it over to him. "You can add milk--"

"Milk?" he questioned and crinkled up his face in clear disgust. "Really?"

"It's an acquired taste," she told him. He suddenly sounded like a child not willing to try new things. "You can also add sugar," she said pointing to the small container of sugar on the table.

"Where did this thing come from?" Oliver asked as he pulled the sugar container in his direction. 

"The cupboard," Sara filled in, amusement still clearly in her voice. At least someone was enjoying the disaster of her father not having the common sense of making a perfectly proper cup of tea. "We just have never used it before."

"Obviously," Oliver muttered as she scooped sugar into his mug of tea. Then out of nowhere and before Madelyn could say anything, horrors of all horrors, he did something wrong. He stirred his tea and then returned the spoon to the sugar container to scoop some more and stir his tea once again.

Again, she almost fell off her chair but this time she just gasped loudly and held what was sturdy in front of her. She knew that maybe he didn't know proper tea, but honestly...why would something do such a thing? Wasn't it common sense? Wasn't it just...known? Who did that?!

"What?"

"You just contaminated the sugar!" Madelyn exclaimed.

Apparently Sara REALLY couldn't hold it in any longer and sounded like she was going to choke on her beverage as she laughed at the same time. She coughed a few times, but it turned over to mostly laughter at that point. SHE really looked like she was going to fall out of her chair. 

"What?" Oliver asked as he looked between them. "I don't get it."

Instead of explaining it in that moment, Madelyn just shook her head and sipped her tea. He was obviously hopeless when it came to tea. They were just lucky that they weren't in London. How embarrassed would she have been if he'd done it in public?! "I'll explain it AFTER breakfast," she insisted as she tried not to dwell on the scary fact. In the back of her mind, she made a mental note to toss out the sugar in the container once her father wasn't looking. It was contaminated and they couldn't undo that now.

"I was thinking," Sara spoke up. She'd somehow found a way to calm down and breathe. "You two should take the day and just hang out…just the TWO of you. Since Kenzi's been home, you've been so busy, Oliver. I think you could make some time today, right?"

This was unexpected and when Madelyn looked over at her father, she knew that it was for him too as he just stared at them mid sip. "I'd like that," she told him with a smile. Sara was right. He'd been so busy between work and Laurel, mostly Laurel...that they hadn't been able to spend any time together. She'd come all this way to know her father and so far...that really hadn't happened.

"I actually had plans," Oliver said slowly. But before anything else could be said, he held up a hand. "I--I can probably cancel them…"

"A meeting for the vineyard?" Madelyn questioned. That, she'd understand. After all, the business was important and if it was something that HE himself could only handle, she could wait. 

"No," he said. "With Laurel."

Sara and Madelyn just stared at him for a long quiet moment.

"I'll call her," he said and moved into the other room to make the call. 

The two of them just sat there, looking at each other occasionally as they could clearly hear Oliver arguing over the phone with Laurel even though he was in the other room. Obviously, Laurel was looking forward to spending time with her dad more than anyone else in the world. 

"It's honestly not THAT big of a deal," Madelyn whispered to Sara, a bit of her British accent slipped through here and there.

"You deserve it," Sara said back just as quietly. "Laurel can take a day to do her nails...or her hair...or something… I'm sure the spa is open."

"She is YOUR sister."

"That doesn't mean that I've put my stamp of approval on whatever it is that's going on between the two of them," Sara put out there clearly and quietly. 

After a few minutes, Oliver returned to them, his hand raking through his short hair. He looked stressed. "So...Kenz...you and I are going to spend the day together, BUT--"

"But?" Madelyn picked up immediately and eyed him. She didn't miss the look of disapproval being shot her father's way by Sara. 

"But we're going to have to have family dinner."

Madelyn blinked. "Is that all? Don't we ALWAYS have family dinner? You, me, Sara?"

"Yeah, but...I mean, Laurel and Quentin, too."

Now Sara was the one blinking. "Wait. My dad? My dad is coming over for dinner?"

Oliver just nodded.

"And Laurel?"

He was still nodding. 

Madelyn let out a frustrated and irritated sigh. "It might not be worth it," she mumbled before taking another bite of her beans on toast.

"What was that?" Oliver asked her as he neared where they were.

"Nothing," she said quickly and tried to add some brightness to her tone.

"Does this mean I have to cook something Laurel approved?" Sara questioned.

"What? What does that mean?" Madelyn asked curiously as she looked between the two of them.

"No, of course not… Laurel eats everything…" Oliver said and his voice trailed off and he suddenly seemed unsure.

"I thought she was on that crazy diet that basically eliminates everything except water?" Sara questioned.

"Who even DOES that?" Madelyn asked in disgust.

Oliver seemed even more confused now. "Just...just cook whatever you think your dad would like."

"So, steaks?" Sara asked. "Potatoes? Veggies?"

"Sure."

"Oh-kay...your funeral," she said as she walked off.

Madelyn just stared at him as she ate. She sort of felt bad for him because he looked so confused. At the same time, he'd gotten himself into that mess by dating Laurel. What the heck was he thinking? Then she felt a bit bad for thinking so poorly of him because of that decision because perhaps he was just lonely… Could she really fault him for wanting a partner in life? But he had Sara and Kenzi...wasn't that a full enough life? Did he REALLY need more? Was Laurel REALLY necessary?

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally seemed to shift his attitude. He swung his head towards her. "I was wondering what you wanted to do?"

"I'm flexible," Madelyn told him with a slight shrug. 

"The archery range?"

Madelyn was fairly good at archery. It wasn't really something that she did a lot, but enough so that she was confident in her own skills. "Sure."

 

*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

They had an archery range on the grounds. This was something that her twin hadn't told her about. Honestly, she was certain that Kenzi had just glazed over so many details, but she was too busy keeping up with her dad to text her to complain about it.

Apparently she had her own bow, well...rather Kenzi had her own bow. That was something that had definitely not been shared. She wondered how good her twin was, she supposed that if she was better or worse that her dad would say something. It made her a bit more nervous as she watched him step up to his mark. There were three spaces at the archery range, she assumed that that meant that Sara knew how to shoot too. 

This must be her father's hobby, she'd realized, once she'd taken in the amount of bows that he had on display inside of the little hut near the range. It was almost like a mini man cave that was obsessed with archery. Bows weren't the only thing he seemed to collect, he had arrowheads and far more arrows than she ever thought she'd see in one location. She didn't even think that Camp Walden carried that many arrows for the amount of girls that were there. 

"I'm not sure we have enough," she teased.

That seemed to amuse him because he smirked as he reached into the barrel on the ground between them and grabbed an arrow. The fletching was green and yellow and she realized that it was the colors for the vineyard. "You've always got a comment...but wait, if zombies ever become a real thing...we'll be set."

"You know that unless we're pulling them out of the bodies," Madelyn said slowly and cringed in the middle of her sentence. The thought of yanking an arrow out of a body creeped her out and made her feel seriously ill. "Then they're not going to last too long."

"Maybe you just have to choose your shot wisely," he said as he pulled the arrow back in place on the bow string and aimed. Madelyn watched him as breathed in before letting go. The arrow hit perfectly on target.

This was definitely something he was good at.

It was something he had a passion for.

As she stood there, getting ready to let go, she realized that this whole thing was likely to blow up in her face. She watched as the arrow flew through the air and knew that there was no way that Kenzi wasn't a pro like Oliver. Her arrow hit the target, but not with precision like Oliver's had. Instead, her arrow had landed in the outer circle.

"You not concentrating or something?" 

She felt her face heat up. She knew that she had to think fast. "I--I'm probably just rusty…"

"They had archery at camp."

"But I wasn't doing it every day or anything."

Oliver just stared at her for a moment. "You always say that it's like riding a bike…"

"Really?"

"It's muscle memory."

"Muscle memory? I think my muscles got too used to fencing at camp."

"Maybe I shouldn't have sent you to camp," Oliver muttered and moved to grab another arrow.

"Maybe I just need some expert lessons from you," Madelyn put out there. "I mean, I should definitely be sharp, right? Just in case of zombies?"

"Or in case of boys," she heard her dad say. He seemed to be okay with this idea of re-teaching her archery. Madelyn allowed him to take the lead and enjoyed this time. It was different when your parent or someone you cared about showed you how to do something versus a tutor or an instructor. 

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Dinner came too soon.

It wasn't good in any way. She couldn't even bring herself to eat a couple of bites, it was too stressful. Laurel was just...annoying. Quentin was obviously not pleased with her father being with Laurel. That made two of them...or three of them? Or four, if they counted Kenzi. She really felt like she and Kenzi should have a say in all of this. There was no way that Laurel could make her father so happy that he was ignoring how miserable everyone around him was. 

"I'm so glad that we could all have dinner together," Laurel said far too brightly as she held up her glass. It was the second glass that Laurel had had since she'd gotten there. 

Madelyn was just happy that she was sitting next to Sara. All in all, she wished that she didn't have to be there at the table. So, she was just trying to make the best of it and staying silent. Silence seemed like the best option at this point. If she said what was on her mind, she was fairly sure that she'd end up in quite a bit of trouble. 

"Oliver and I had wanted to share our happy news," Laurel said as she held onto Oliver's hand. "With our family…"

It was then that Madelyn saw the ring and her eyes widened in horror. 

"What are you talking about?" Quentin questioned before Laurel could really get out her 'happy news'. His tone was gruff and bordering on angry.

"We're...getting married," Oliver said, it seemed hesitant and it took a moment for a smile to spread across his lips. Madelyn swore that it was a sad smile at that.

"What the--" Quentin started.

"Dad!" Sara interrupted quickly.

"What? At least, if this was some kind of engagement announcement between you and Oliver, I'd understand...but Laurel...seriously? You two have had this on and off again relationship for practically your whole lives and neither of you seem to have any balance when you're together… You're joking, right?"

"No," Laurel said.

She couldn't hold it together any longer. Tears fell from her eyes and she couldn't contain the sob that forced its way out of her. Madelyn got up and out of her chair before bolting out of the room. It was all too much and she just couldn't figure out how anything was going to happen now. There was no way she was going to even see Oliver if he married Laurel. It wasn't just that she didn't want a stepmom, it was because it was Laurel. 

In Kenzi's room, she just cried on the bed. She wanted to go home. Immediately, she had her phone out and was texting her twin, it didn't matter the time. Madelyn actually thought about just calling her or calling Diggle, she needed to go home. She wanted to go as far away as she could. This was supposed to be her time to know about her dad, exactly how Kenzi had painted him...and she was just disappointed.

Eventually, there was a knock at the door. "Come in," she said and expected Sara. It wasn't. She turned around to face her father and hoped that he finally saw that no one was happy, except maybe Laurel. 

"I can't believe you just acted like that down there," Oliver told her. "I'm so disappointed in you."

He...was disappointed...in her?

Madelyn couldn't keep her composure. 

It was like she was erupting. 

She was upset and angry at him and she wasn't going to hide that. "I am the one who is disappointed in you!" Madelyn shouted, her accent coming out as very English. Madelyn was up on her feet pacing. "I can't believe that you would just propose to her without talking to the people in your life that are family! Who does that? Why would you do that? She's awful! I hate her and I was taught not to hate anyone...but she's...she's…"

"Mackenzie?" he questioned, obviously confused.

"No," she corrected and straightened a bit. Her voice, broke though as she spoke, all of her pain and misery clearly coming through. "My name is Madelyn Meghan Smoak. I'm your daughter. The daughter that you decided was fine without a father in this world. I came here after meeting Mackenzie at camp...hoping to see what she'd told me all about...about how wonderful and brilliant you are." She paused. "But all I want...is to go home."

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

TBC...


	10. Reunions

**= London =**

  
  


"What is this?" Mackenzie whispered to Diggle.

 

"Beans on toast."

 

"I eat this?"

 

Diggle shrugged.  "I'm pretty sure it's not going to kill you."

 

Mackenzie sat there for a moment and studied the breakfast that had been set in front of her.  She supposed that it was okay that she was clearly not Madelyn in that moment since Nan wasn't in the room.  She knew that she liked toast...and beans...but they were together.  She decided that she could do this.  It couldn't be that bad, right?  The first bite was like discovering something that was new and shiny.  "What the... _ this _ is  _ amazing _ !" she bursted out mid eating.  There was scarfing after that point.  

 

"Madelyn, your phone keeps chirping," Nan said.  "It says you have over fifty missed texts.  Who on Earth is texting you?"

 

Mackenzie turned just as it chirped again and saw that Nan had her phone.  "It's probably just a friend...having problems or something.  My battery died in the middle of the night and I'd been charging it," she said as she held out her hand for her phone.

 

"Oh, well...okay," Donna said and handed Mackenzie the phone.  

 

Her fingers swiped the screen and put in her passcode before scrolling through the mass of texts.  They were all from Maddie and she was beyond upset.  Her twin had even spelled words wrong.  Mackenzie felt suddenly sick to her stomach as she read the original text that had started the flurry.

  
  


**Madelyn Smoak:**  Dad and Laurel are getting MARRIED.  

  
  


Later, Madelyn explained that they'd announced the engagement officially at dinner and no one had been happy about it.  She'd also gone off about how their dad had said he was disappointed in her behavior and she'd told him that she was Madelyn.  He apparently had just seemed confused and then Sara had come in and told him that she needed space.  Sara was good at being awesome.  

 

"Shut up," she mumbled.

 

"Excuse me?" Nan questioned.

 

It took Mackenzie a moment to realize that she'd just said that aloud.  Her eyes widened and she looked towards Diggle, who just shrugged in response.  A lot of help he was.  "I--I just...I can't believe the drama in my friend's life."

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"Her dad just got engaged to someone that she doesn't like," Mackenzie said.  it was all the truth, she just wasn't divulging the names or that it was actually  _ her  _ father.

 

"She okay?" Diggle asked, suddenly he was concerned.

 

Diggle had obviously figured out who she was talking about.  Maddie wasn't used to this kind of drama.  Mackenzie sighed.  "We're going to have to put together an extraction plan."

 

"An extraction or a switch?"

 

"You two do realize I have no idea what's going on, right?" Nan spoke up.

 

Felicity's voice reached into the dining room.  "Kenzi?" 

 

"Kenzi?" Nan repeated and seemed really confused.  "Ma-kenzi-e?"  Her eyes were wide and she was suddenly staring at her granddaughter.  "Mackenzie?  Baby?"

 

Mackenzie just stared at her grandmother, partially in fear of how she might react.  Suddenly, Felicity was standing in the doorway behind Nan and she obviously realized what she'd done.  "Hi...Nan?" 

 

The squeal that Nan let out hurt her ears so bad, but Mackenzie couldn't tell her to stop.  She was excited to meet her.  "Oh!  My!  Goodness!  My baby!  My grandbaby!  I've thought about what you might be so many times!"  Suddenly Nan was hugging her, like hugging the life out of her.  Mackenzie just held onto her Nan as it continued.  There might not be any end in sight of that hug, but Mackenzie was just happy to know that she was loved...and that she'd been missed by her grandmother.  Donna was really cool and even though Mackenzie knew that she'd been somewhat responsible for the break-up, she couldn't not love her.

 

She didn't miss Diggle moving over to her mother and talking to her.  He was definitely giving her an update on Madelyn.  "I'll make the arrangements," she heard Diggle say before leaving the room.

 

"Wait," Nan said and pulled back.  "If you're Mackenzie, then where's Madelyn?"

 

"With my dad...in Washington?"

 

Nan made a face, but seemed to keep her comment to herself and just hugged the life out of her again.

  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
  


"Mom?"

 

"I was just packing a few things."

 

"You seem nervous," Mackenzie observed as she moved into her mother's bedroom.  Nan had fussed over her for over an hour before she'd finally broken away and Diggle explained that they had flights bound for Walla Walla, Washington in just a few hours.  It was soon and fast, but Mackenzie knew that it needed to be that way.  She just wished that she'd been able to have more time to get to know her mom.

 

"I haven't seen your father in...in well, you know...it's been a while," Felicity rambled on.  "It wasn't exactly on the best terms...and he's probably so much happier without me in his life.  I just...I don't even know how this is going to be."

 

"Well, apparently he still makes poor decisions," Mackenzie offered.  "So, maybe he hasn't changed that much."

 

"That's not exactly encouraging…"  Felicity sighed and zipped up her bag.  "Please tell me that he _ knows  _ about the switch and that we're heading there?"

 

"Not...yet…" Mackenzie said slowly and then shrugged.  "I mean, he knows that Madelyn is not me and that she's there and I'm here, but...well, I'm pretty sure Maddie's not talking to him ever since he got engaged."

 

"He's engaged?"

 

"To Laurel Lance."

 

"I would have thought it would be Sara."

 

"Right?" Mackenzie said.  When her mother looked at her, she just shrugged.  "What?  Sara was the closest thing to a mom I had growing up.  She's pretty awesome."

 

"I'm glad you had her," Felicity said gently and sad.  "I am."

 

"Let me tell Dad that we're coming, okay?"

 

"Okay."

 

So, Mackenzie wasn't going to actually warn her dad, but she was certain that was for the best.  After all, she knew him.  From the last text she'd gotten from Maddie about her dad, it sounded like he was in shock.  No other texts had come through about him.  He didn't need to have anything else put on him.  Even though he was a strong person, this kind of thing overwhelmed him...which she thought was interesting given the custody arrangement.

 

"What are you going to do now?" Mackenzie questioned.

 

Felicity stared at her.   "We're getting on a plane--"

 

"Not about that, about  _ us. _ ..about _ me _ ."

 

"I don't know, honestly," Felicity admitted.  "We came to the custody arrangement we have for a reason…  We didn't want to see each other.  We didn't want our families in each other's lives.  We wanted to live like that part of our life never happened."

 

"But Aunt Thea--"

 

Felicity seemed to tear up at that.  "I adore Thea…  You have no idea how excited we were when your dad and I were engaged."

 

"Did Nan and Grandma Moira really screw things up?"

 

"Best not speak ill of the dead," Felicity told her.  

 

"You keep tabs on things, haven't you?"

 

"A little," Felicity admitted.  "Though, it's mainly been Digg...he keeps an eye out and then sends the information my way."

 

"I just...I don't know how to go back to my life like I don't have a mother or a twin sister or a Nan or a Diggle…"

 

Felicity smiled and reached out to touch her face.  "I promise, we're going to change things...I just can't promise you things...things that  I might not be able to keep."

 

"This sucks."

 

"Oh, it does…"

 

She watched as tears fell from her mother's eyes.  Mackenzie moved and wrapped her arms around her.  "I wish I could just stay here with you…"

 

"You would miss your life...your father...Thea...Sara…"

 

Felicity squeezed her and Mackenzie didn't want to let go.  Tears slipped from her and she realized that she really wasn't ready to let go, she wasn't ready to face reality.  "I wish it didn't have to be like this…"

 

"Every day...I looked at Madelyn and I thought about the joy that life would have been if things had been different...if there had been two little girls running around the house…  I thought about all the trouble you two would have gotten into together and how I likely wouldn't be able to be mad at either of you for whatever you'd done," Felicity told her.  "Having you taken from me...that was the worst day of my life...but this...this is so much harder…"

 

And she just couldn't hate her.

  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
  


"Has Mom ever been in a serious relationship?"

 

"Shouldn't this be a conversation you have with your mother?" Diggle asked.

 

"I doubt this is something she wants to discuss with me."

 

"There have been men in her life," Diggle explained as they walked through Heathrow Airport together.  

 

Mom and Nan were double checking something and getting snacks, Mackenzie was fairly sure it was an excuse for her mother to breakdown without her seeing it.  She knew that Mom was having a hard time, but she was fairly sure that it was going to all be worth it.  "But Mom's never been re-married or engaged or anything?"

 

"Well, there's been proposals, but they never got to the alter."  Diggle paused for a moment.  "There was one guy...they were really good together and I actually thought they were going to make it work."

 

"Really?"

 

"It was a few years ago," Diggle waved off.  "He and your mom had a lot in common.  He fell head over heels in love with her.  He would have done anything in the world for her.  Felicity actually said yes...she'd gotten to the point of wedding planning and then decided she couldn't do it.  I never pushed to find out exactly why."

 

"What was his name?"

 

"Ray Palmer.  Tech guy.  Smart.  American."

 

"Did Maddie like him?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"And you liked him?"

 

"I mean, he always smiled too much...and was far too cheery...but...he treated everyone right, especially your mom and Maddie…"  Diggle paused for a moment.  "So, I guess...I respected him for that."

 

Mackenzie sighed.  "Do you think my parents might ever get back together?"

 

Diggle just stared at her for a long moment.  "Listen, Kenzi, I don't want you to get your hopes up or something.  Your parents went through a lot.  That's a lot of bad blood, not just between them...but the families."  He was quiet again.  "What about your dad?"

 

"Well, you know...apparently now it's Laurel," Mackenzie reminded.

 

"Before?"

 

"No one," Mackenzie said.  "I mean, not that I've known of…  I sort of kept hoping he'd end up with Sara."

 

"Sara's always had this crush on your dad, but she's always been respectful."

 

"Did she and Mom get along?"

 

"Oh, they were good friends," Diggle said with a smile.  "We all were."

 

"But Sara stayed with Dad and you went with Mom."

 

"Your mother needed someone...and it wasn't going to be Donna," Diggle said.  "Sara grew up with Oliver, so it wasn't such a stretch...and _ you  _ needed someone."   
  


And she had.

 

She'd been lucky.

 

She and Maddie had  _ both _ been lucky.

  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
  


**= Walla Walla =**

  
  


When they arrived at the airport, Mackenzie couldn't contain herself.  She'd gotten a text from Sara letting her know that she and Maddie would be waiting for them.  There was something thrilling about getting to show her mother and Diggle where she grew up and introduce her to everyone important in her life.  It was like catching her up on everything she'd missed.  

 

For the moment, Mackenzie wasn't worrying about her father.  All she focused on was what was about to happen, this merger of what her life should have been and what her life had been.  Two worlds colliding.  She was practically dragging her mother through the airport, knowing exactly where to go.  Diggle was keeping up, but Nan kept complaining about how swiftly they were moving.

 

"Sara!  Maddie!" Mackenzie shouted when she saw them and gave them a wave before continuing to drag her mother with her.  She dropped her mother's hand and ran into Sara's waiting arms.  "I missed you!"  Sara held her tight and it felt like home.  Sara had been the closest thing to a mother for her and she realized it was different...Sara held her differently.  It wasn't better or worse, Mackenzie just had never realized that being hugged could feel so different.  Her dad never hugged long and tight like Mom or Sara did.  

 

"I missed you!" Sara told her.

 

When she finally pulled away, she noticed that Mom and Maddie had been having their own reunion, but then Diggle and Nan wanted attention too.  "I hope our switch isn't going to get us into  _ too much _ trouble."

 

"Yeah...we'll see what your dad has to say about that," Sara told Mackenzie.

 

Mackenzie made a face.  "But really...this was a gift...because otherwise...we could have lived out our lives and never have come together."

 

"She does have a point," Maddie chimed in.

 

"Home?" Kenzi asked Sara.

 

"We have one more person to pick up," Sara told her with a bright smile and wrapped an arm around her.  

 

"Who?"

 

"It's a surprise," Maddie told her twin as she kept a tight hold on her mother's hand.

 

They moved through the airport and retrieved their bags from the baggage carousel, but then headed back to where they'd met the arrivals.  Moving from Sara, Kenzi grabbed Maddie and decided to keep Diggle and Nan distracted.  She'd noticed that her mom and Sara hadn't had time to even say hello.  She wondered how they'd react to seeing each other again, both having been a mother to each twin.

 

"You look good, Felicity," Sara complimented.

 

"Thank you," Felicity replied.  

 

"I don't get who we're waiting for," Nan complained and pulled Kenzi's attention.  

 

Mackenzie shrugged.  "Look for someone familiar."  She turned her attention back to Sara and her mother again.

 

"For what?  Picking you up from the airport?  So not even a big deal.  Got me out of the house and away from the tension," Sara explained.  "Oliver hasn't said anything to anyone since Maddie told him who she was."

 

Felicity was suddenly staring over at them.  "I thought you said you would talk to--"

 

"It's better this way," Mackenzie said quickly.  " _ Trust me _ ."  The look her mother was giving her wasn't making her feel assured that she was doing the right thing.  Her mother looked stressed, but Kenzi was certain that she was right.  This was the best way to do things.  

 

Felicity sighed and rubbed her forehead.  She turned back to Sara.  "Thank you for raising Mackenzie and taking care of her when I couldn't be here for her…"

 

"My sass might have rubbed off a tad," Sara said with a smile.  "But the stubbornness and need to be in charge is from you both.  I swear, I didn't have anything to do with that."

 

Felicity seemed amused at that.  "I'm glad that they switched."

 

"Me too."

 

The person they had been waiting for came into view, but before Mackenzie could react, her aunt was flailing a bit more than normal. 

 

"Wow!" Thea enthused as she hurried towards them.  " _ This is the best trip ever _ !"  Instead of hugging her, though, Thea was hugging Felicity.  "Please tell me that you and Oliver have finally come to your senses and have rekindled things, so that I can finally...officially...have you as my sister," Thea pleaded as she pulled back.

 

"No," Felicity just replied and was obviously confused.

 

"Niece, right here," Mackenzie complained at Thea.  "Seriously?  No hug?"

 

"Other niece also here," Madelyn pointed out.

 

It was like a switch went off in her head and Thea was making a happy sound that almost made her cringe.  Suddenly, Thea was hugging both twins.  "Finally!  You two are together!  We are going to have such a good time!  Just so we're clear...I'm the favorite aunt."

 

"Aren't you the  _ only _ one?"

 

"Just want to make sure we're clear."

 

Madelyn giggled at that and Mackenzie just smiled.  This was going to be great.  It was weird, she'd been excited to go home, but home usually meant her dad...and currently, she wasn't actually excited about seeing him.  Maybe it was because she didn't know how things were going to turn out.  Maybe it was because she knew that he hadn't taken the switch well and then there was the whole Laurel situation.  

 

"Home?" Mackenzie questioned.

 

"Speedy's waiting," Sara told her.  

 

"Please tell me you brought the SUV."

 

"There was no way we were going to fit into the car."   
  


 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

TBC...

 

 


	11. Family Reunion

**= Walla Walla =**

  
  


The yelling wasn't hard to miss.

 

Madelyn and Mackenzie stayed back for a few minutes, just listening.  It was Laurel and their dad.  They exchanged looks and Madelyn twisted her face at the sound of it.  She was glad that they'd convinced everyone to let them go and find Oliver, though she still wasn't sure if she really wanted to have anything to do with him.

 

"You're keeping things from me, Oliver!  That's a  _ big _ deal!" Laurel shouted.

 

"What do you want me to say?  It's not that I was keeping things from you, I just haven't exactly told you everything about my life."

 

"I thought I knew everything about you...about your life," Laurel ranted.  "Oliver, what could be so big that you've kept it from me?"

 

"Dad!" Mackenzie shouted and ran out of where they'd been standing.  She flung herself at Oliver before Madelyn could stop her twin.  

 

Not knowing if this was the best time, Madelyn let out a sigh and walked out from where she'd been standing.  "Kenzi, wait!" she called using her English accent purposely.  The look on Laurel's face was worth it all, she looked so confused.  

 

A moment later, Speedy was practically mauling Oliver and Mackenzie.  It seemed like the moment between Oliver and Laurel was over...at least for that moment.  Mackenzie just hugged her dad and started to go a mile a minute about London.

 

"Wait," Laurel finally said.  "There are _ two _ ?!"

 

"Oh, don't feel bad," Kenzi said as she pulled out of the hug and turned towards Laurel.  " _ We _ didn't even know about it.  Separated at birth.  We found out at summer camp by complete accident...and then we switched places."

 

Laurel eyed them both and then turned to Oliver.  "You have  _ two  _ daughters...one that you haven't seen since she was born and you didn't think that  _ maybe  _ that was something I should  _ know _ ?  We're  _ engaged _ !  We're supposed to be joining our lives together!"

 

"Laurel, I--"

 

" _ No _ !" Laurel shouted.  "This is ridiculous!  I thought you had  _ changed _ , Oliver!  I thought you'd finally outgrown your stupid childish bad boy phase!  I can't be with you if you're going to keep something  _ so big  _ from me!"  Laurel threw her ring at him and started to stomp off.

 

"Dad, I'm sorry," Madelyn whispered.  As much as she didn't like Laurel, she still hadn't meant to cause so much upset in his life.  "All I wanted was to finally _ get to know _ you."

 

"And I wanted to know  _ my mom _ ," Mackenzie spoke up.

 

"Do you honestly _ all _ know?!" Laurel questioned angrily.

 

It was then that she realized that not only was Laurel still in eyesight, but so was everyone else.  Madelyn watched Oliver, how he seemed to change when he saw her mother.  She swore, there was still something between them...but there was also shock there too.  "Felicity," he whispered and then swallowed hard.

 

"Dad," Mackenzie said.

 

He put up his hands.  "No...I need...I need some time," he said as he started to back away.  "This is just...this is too much."

 

Maybe it was just too much in a short span of time.  The fact that Madelyn had revealed herself.  The fact that Laurel had just broken up with him.  The fact that her mother and everyone else was there.  Maybe it was just too much.  Madelyn didn't know because he just walked off and they let him.  

 

Madelyn looked over at her twin, expecting to take her cue from Mackenzie.  Her twin just seemed confused and to look back at the adults for what they should do.  Her heart clenched as she stood there worrying.  She was angry and disappointed in the man that she'd been so excited to get to know, but she hadn't wanted things to go sideways like this.  She wanted her father to be happy and if it was with Laurel, then that was fine...Madelyn knew that she could now go home to London.  She didn't have to be in that awkward and uncomfortable situation, but then she realized...Mackenzie _ would _ ...and she'd have to leave her twin behind.  

 

How could she do that?

 

She couldn't forget.

 

Things had to change.

 

This couldn't be it.

 

"I'll go after him," Sara finally volunteered after a long silence spread between them.  She seemed to think it over for a long moment because she didn't move.  She looked over to Thea, who just stared back at Sara for a long moment.  "Maybe…"

 

"Felicity, you go," Thea told her.

 

Madelyn was shocked at that.  Her mother hadn't seen their father in so many years...why would they send  _ her  _ after him? 

 

"I--" Felicity seemed to stumble.  "I--I can't…"

 

"You can," Thea insisted.  "Ollie has never stopped loving you."

 

Donna let out the most exasperated loud sigh she'd ever heard.  "I can't believe I'm saying this," she spoke up and came forward.  "But  _ Thea _ is  _ right _ ."  She shook her head.  "Oliver  _ always  _ loved you, Honey.  Moira and I--I shouldn't have ever gotten in the way of that love…"  Donna seemed heartbroken all the sudden and her voice broke.  "But Honey…  We should have never stood between you.  It's our fault that you both were separated...and worse than that...that the girls were separated."

 

Madelyn couldn't think of her Nan in that way, where she'd purposely be mean.  For her entire life, her Nan had always been so loving.  Maybe sometimes she'd be a little crazy, but she was never malicious as far as she could think of.  This was something that felt like it had to have been another lifetime for her Nan...for everyone else involved.  

 

"Okay," her mother finally said reluctantly.  Her mother seemed to be trying to decide if she was ready or not to go after him.  Madelyn knew that this was hard on her mother.  She had no idea how her mother was feeling or how she even felt in that moment.  There were so many emotions and this was not something that any of them were used to in London.  

 

"Mom," Madelyn whispered as she moved to her mother and took her hand.  She stared up at her, looking her directly in the eyes.  "I'm sorry.  I had just--"

 

"I know," Felicity told her gently and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.  "I can't fault you for wanting to know your father.  I always told myself that I wouldn't let my child grow up only knowing one parent...and I guess I did it anyway."

 

"Felicity--" Nan started.

 

"I should go and you all should go back to the house," Felicity said as she pulled away from all of them.  She threw both of the girls a smile and then motioned towards the house.  "Try to behave until I get back, okay?"

 

"We could play poker," Mackenzie suggested.

 

"I thought Mum said we needed to behave," Madelyn countered.

 

"Yeah, that's not going to happen with poker," Diggle commented.

  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

  
"We shouldn't be doing this," Madelyn pointed out.  

 

"Shh…"

 

Somehow, they'd slipped away after everyone else had gone into the house.  There seemed to be a lot of catching up going on, which had made for a good distraction.  Kenzi had just grabbed her and dragged her out the window.  Madelyn hadn't even noticed that there was a ladder, that she was fairly sure was supposed to be  _ really _ only used to escape the house in case of a fire emergency.  

 

Now here they were standing behind a tree and spying on their parents.  It was so odd to Madelyn to actually see them together even if it was just their backs as they sat in the grass.  They were quiet, not speaking, though she was certain that they could have missed some conversation as it had taken them about twenty minutes or so after their father had stormed off to get to that point.   

 

"They're amazing, our girls," Felicity spoke up. They weren't even looking at each other, they were just looking straight ahead and she was picking pieces of grass from the ground. 

 

"Maddie speaks British?"

 

"Yes," Felicity responded with a short laugh.  "I think it comes with the upbringing in London."

 

"I had never thought that this would ever happen, I mean...we knew that  _ eventually _ , we'd have to tell them the truth," Oliver said.  Madelyn was surprised at how gentle and quiet he was with her mother.  "I guess, I never thought that there would be a good time for it."

 

"Or that it would work itself out without us having any part in it?"

 

"I can't even imagine what they must have thought figuring it out by meeting at summer camp," Oliver said with a loud sigh.  "They must think we're horrible."

 

"Maybe," Felicity conceded.  "But they can never know what it was like for us back then…"

 

"But did we do the right thing?"

 

Felicity finally turned her head to look right at him, "No."

 

Silence.

 

They were just staring at each other for the longest time.  "We should have run away together," Felicity whispered and she sounded so sad.  "We should have told them that we didn't care what they thought.  We should have run away and raised our girls some place... _ anywhere _ ...as long as we were together."

 

"Traveled the world?"

 

"I would have liked that."

 

"The girls would have probably liked that."

 

"You've built a home here, Oliver," Felicity pointed out.  "I love the wine."

 

"You've had my wine?" Oliver asked, clearly surprised.  

 

"Of course," Felicity said.  "Sara sent it."

 

"Of course she did."  He sighed.  "And you've made quite the name for yourself."

 

"I don't know that any of it is worth all of those years," Felicity pointed out.

 

"And what do we do now?"

 

"I don't know," Felicity said.  "All I know is that I don't think it's fair to keep the girls apart...to not let them be a family or sisters…  Could you imagine growing up separated from Thea?"

 

"No."

 

"But neither one of us can just uproot their lives either, that's not fair," Felicity pointed out.  

 

"We'll figure something out."

 

"The girls have to be involved in this decision," Felicity added.  "And no one else.  Just the four of us."

 

"What about John and Sara?"

 

"Okay, maybe them too…"

 

Oliver chuckled in response.  

 

"Are you okay?" Felicity asked after a bout of silence.  "Really?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"I'm sorry...about Laurel."

 

"She's just upset.  She has a right to be.  I kept important things from her."

 

"I could talk to her?"

 

Oliver laughed.  "Thanks, but I think that might only make things worse."  He sighed.  "It just feels like the world has come crashing down around me the last few days.  I thought I was starting over...with Laurel.  Maddie, who I thought was Kenzi, hasn't been happy about Laurel...and maybe I should have taken that as a sign."

 

"It's not easy."

 

"It's been so long, Felicity.  Is it horrible of me for thinking that there's someone else out there for me?"

 

"No, of course not."

 

"You've never remarried."

 

"No," Felicity said and bowed her head.  "I never found anyone who came close to the right person that I found all those years before."  She looked up at him again.  "I always just remind myself that Maddie is the most important person in my life and that she's enough."

 

"After everything that had happened, my mother use to make me feel stronger," Oliver confided.  "She'd give me advice and pep talks.  She was the only person who made me feel better after you went away to London…  I just don't know what to think anymore."

 

"I am sorry about your mother, Oliver."

 

"She didn't like you very much."

 

"No, but then my mother didn't love you either."

 

"We were different people," Oliver said.  

 

Felicity nodded.  "And now we're even more different."

 

"Everything went wrong when we decided to let other people dictate what our lives should look like."  He was quiet for a moment.  "Maybe I can talk to Laurel.  Maybe that isn't going to happen.  I don't know.  All I know is that you're right.  We have two beautiful girls that are obviously too smart for our own good...and one of them I haven't taken the time to get to know."

 

"Madelyn really is different from Mackenzie."

 

"I found that out," Oliver said with a short laugh.  "But I want another chance with her, hopefully she'll allow it."

 

Madelyn looked over at Mackenzie.  "What are we going to do?" she asked in a whisper.

 

"They're not fighting," Kenzi pointed out.

 

That was true.

 

Looking back at them, she sighed, this was something that she'd thought about seeing before...both of her parents together.  It was something that she never thought would happen.  Maybe she had been hard on Oliver, but she couldn't help it...Laurel was awful as far as she was concerned.  She wanted her father to be happy, but not at her expense.  "But you can't transport the vineyard to London...and Mom's jobs are mainly all in the UK or on _ that  _ side of the world."  She frowned deeply.  "I don't want to lose you now, Kenz."

 

"You're not going to!"

 

Madelyn reached out and took her twin's hand before looking over to watch their parents.  "We should get back to the house before someone comes looking for us and finds us spying."

 

"I was going to consider it recon," Mackenzie said with a smile and a shrug.  

 

Rolling her eyes and then shaking her head, Madelyn reluctantly moved away from where they'd been hiding and headed back towards the house with Mackenzie.  Whatever was going to be discussed, she was just glad that it would be done together (or so that's what they'd heard).  Madelyn just couldn't think of a way out of it right now, how to make it work right.  

  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
  


TBC…

  
  
  
  
  



	12. Love Bonds Us All

**= Walla Walla =**

  
  


The yelling wasn't hard to miss.

 

Madelyn and Mackenzie stayed back for a few minutes, just listening.  It was Laurel and their dad.  They exchanged looks and Madelyn twisted her face at the sound of it.  She was glad that they'd convinced everyone to let them go and find Oliver, though she still wasn't sure if she really wanted to have anything to do with him.

 

"You're keeping things from me, Oliver!  That's a  _ big _ deal!" Laurel shouted.

 

"What do you want me to say?  It's not that I was keeping things from you, I just haven't exactly told you everything about my life."

 

"I thought I knew everything about you...about your life," Laurel ranted.  "Oliver, what could be so big that you've kept it from me?"

 

"Dad!" Mackenzie shouted and ran out of where they'd been standing.  She flung herself at Oliver before Madelyn could stop her twin.  

 

Not knowing if this was the best time, Madelyn let out a sigh and walked out from where she'd been standing.  "Kenzi, wait!" she called using her English accent purposely.  The look on Laurel's face was worth it all, she looked so confused.  

 

A moment later, Speedy was practically mauling Oliver and Mackenzie.  It seemed like the moment between Oliver and Laurel was over...at least for that moment.  Mackenzie just hugged her dad and started to go a mile a minute about London.

 

"Wait," Laurel finally said.  "There are _ two _ ?!"

 

"Oh, don't feel bad," Kenzi said as she pulled out of the hug and turned towards Laurel.  " _ We _ didn't even know about it.  Separated at birth.  We found out at summer camp by complete accident...and then we switched places."

 

Laurel eyed them both and then turned to Oliver.  "You have  _ two  _ daughters...one that you haven't seen since she was born and you didn't think that  _ maybe  _ that was something I should  _ know _ ?  We're  _ engaged _ !  We're supposed to be joining our lives together!"

 

"Laurel, I--"

 

" _ No _ !" Laurel shouted.  "This is ridiculous!  I thought you had  _ changed _ , Oliver!  I thought you'd finally outgrown your stupid childish bad boy phase!  I can't be with you if you're going to keep something  _ so big  _ from me!"  Laurel threw her ring at him and started to stomp off.

 

"Dad, I'm sorry," Madelyn whispered.  As much as she didn't like Laurel, she still hadn't meant to cause so much upset in his life.  "All I wanted was to finally _ get to know _ you."

 

"And I wanted to know  _ my mom _ ," Mackenzie spoke up.

 

"Do you honestly _ all _ know?!" Laurel questioned angrily.

 

It was then that she realized that not only was Laurel still in eyesight, but so was everyone else.  Madelyn watched Oliver, how he seemed to change when he saw her mother.  She swore, there was still something between them...but there was also shock there too.  "Felicity," he whispered and then swallowed hard.

 

"Dad," Mackenzie said.

 

He put up his hands.  "No...I need...I need some time," he said as he started to back away.  "This is just...this is too much."

 

Maybe it was just too much in a short span of time.  The fact that Madelyn had revealed herself.  The fact that Laurel had just broken up with him.  The fact that her mother and everyone else was there.  Maybe it was just too much.  Madelyn didn't know because he just walked off and they let him.  

 

Madelyn looked over at her twin, expecting to take her cue from Mackenzie.  Her twin just seemed confused and to look back at the adults for what they should do.  Her heart clenched as she stood there worrying.  She was angry and disappointed in the man that she'd been so excited to get to know, but she hadn't wanted things to go sideways like this.  She wanted her father to be happy and if it was with Laurel, then that was fine...Madelyn knew that she could now go home to London.  She didn't have to be in that awkward and uncomfortable situation, but then she realized...Mackenzie _ would _ ...and she'd have to leave her twin behind.  

 

How could she do that?

 

She couldn't forget.

 

Things had to change.

 

This couldn't be it.

 

"I'll go after him," Sara finally volunteered after a long silence spread between them.  She seemed to think it over for a long moment because she didn't move.  She looked over to Thea, who just stared back at Sara for a long moment.  "Maybe…"

 

"Felicity, you go," Thea told her.

 

Madelyn was shocked at that.  Her mother hadn't seen their father in so many years...why would they send  _ her  _ after him? 

 

"I--" Felicity seemed to stumble.  "I--I can't…"

 

"You can," Thea insisted.  "Ollie has never stopped loving you."

 

Donna let out the most exasperated loud sigh she'd ever heard.  "I can't believe I'm saying this," she spoke up and came forward.  "But  _ Thea _ is  _ right _ ."  She shook her head.  "Oliver  _ always  _ loved you, Honey.  Moira and I--I shouldn't have ever gotten in the way of that love…"  Donna seemed heartbroken all the sudden and her voice broke.  "But Honey…  We should have never stood between you.  It's our fault that you both were separated...and worse than that...that the girls were separated."

 

Madelyn couldn't think of her Nan in that way, where she'd purposely be mean.  For her entire life, her Nan had always been so loving.  Maybe sometimes she'd be a little crazy, but she was never malicious as far as she could think of.  This was something that felt like it had to have been another lifetime for her Nan...for everyone else involved.  

 

"Okay," her mother finally said reluctantly.  Her mother seemed to be trying to decide if she was ready or not to go after him.  Madelyn knew that this was hard on her mother.  She had no idea how her mother was feeling or how she even felt in that moment.  There were so many emotions and this was not something that any of them were used to in London.  

 

"Mom," Madelyn whispered as she moved to her mother and took her hand.  She stared up at her, looking her directly in the eyes.  "I'm sorry.  I had just--"

 

"I know," Felicity told her gently and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.  "I can't fault you for wanting to know your father.  I always told myself that I wouldn't let my child grow up only knowing one parent...and I guess I did it anyway."

 

"Felicity--" Nan started.

 

"I should go and you all should go back to the house," Felicity said as she pulled away from all of them.  She threw both of the girls a smile and then motioned towards the house.  "Try to behave until I get back, okay?"

 

"We could play poker," Mackenzie suggested.

 

"I thought Mum said we needed to behave," Madelyn countered.

 

"Yeah, that's not going to happen with poker," Diggle commented.

  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

  
"We shouldn't be doing this," Madelyn pointed out.  

 

"Shh…"

 

Somehow, they'd slipped away after everyone else had gone into the house.  There seemed to be a lot of catching up going on, which had made for a good distraction.  Kenzi had just grabbed her and dragged her out the window.  Madelyn hadn't even noticed that there was a ladder, that she was fairly sure was supposed to be  _ really _ only used to escape the house in case of a fire emergency.  

 

Now here they were standing behind a tree and spying on their parents.  It was so odd to Madelyn to actually see them together even if it was just their backs as they sat in the grass.  They were quiet, not speaking, though she was certain that they could have missed some conversation as it had taken them about twenty minutes or so after their father had stormed off to get to that point.   

 

"They're amazing, our girls," Felicity spoke up. They weren't even looking at each other, they were just looking straight ahead and she was picking pieces of grass from the ground. 

 

"Maddie speaks British?"

 

"Yes," Felicity responded with a short laugh.  "I think it comes with the upbringing in London."

 

"I had never thought that this would ever happen, I mean...we knew that  _ eventually _ , we'd have to tell them the truth," Oliver said.  Madelyn was surprised at how gentle and quiet he was with her mother.  "I guess, I never thought that there would be a good time for it."

 

"Or that it would work itself out without us having any part in it?"

 

"I can't even imagine what they must have thought figuring it out by meeting at summer camp," Oliver said with a loud sigh.  "They must think we're horrible."

 

"Maybe," Felicity conceded.  "But they can never know what it was like for us back then…"

 

"But did we do the right thing?"

 

Felicity finally turned her head to look right at him, "No."

 

Silence.

 

They were just staring at each other for the longest time.  "We should have run away together," Felicity whispered and she sounded so sad.  "We should have told them that we didn't care what they thought.  We should have run away and raised our girls some place... _ anywhere _ ...as long as we were together."

 

"Traveled the world?"

 

"I would have liked that."

 

"The girls would have probably liked that."

 

"You've built a home here, Oliver," Felicity pointed out.  "I love the wine."

 

"You've had my wine?" Oliver asked, clearly surprised.  

 

"Of course," Felicity said.  "Sara sent it."

 

"Of course she did."  He sighed.  "And you've made quite the name for yourself."

 

"I don't know that any of it is worth all of those years," Felicity pointed out.

 

"And what do we do now?"

 

"I don't know," Felicity said.  "All I know is that I don't think it's fair to keep the girls apart...to not let them be a family or sisters…  Could you imagine growing up separated from Thea?"

 

"No."

 

"But neither one of us can just uproot their lives either, that's not fair," Felicity pointed out.  

 

"We'll figure something out."

 

"The girls have to be involved in this decision," Felicity added.  "And no one else.  Just the four of us."

 

"What about John and Sara?"

 

"Okay, maybe them too…"

 

Oliver chuckled in response.  

 

"Are you okay?" Felicity asked after a bout of silence.  "Really?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"I'm sorry...about Laurel."

 

"She's just upset.  She has a right to be.  I kept important things from her."

 

"I could talk to her?"

 

Oliver laughed.  "Thanks, but I think that might only make things worse."  He sighed.  "It just feels like the world has come crashing down around me the last few days.  I thought I was starting over...with Laurel.  Maddie, who I thought was Kenzi, hasn't been happy about Laurel...and maybe I should have taken that as a sign."

 

"It's not easy."

 

"It's been so long, Felicity.  Is it horrible of me for thinking that there's someone else out there for me?"

 

"No, of course not."

 

"You've never remarried."

 

"No," Felicity said and bowed her head.  "I never found anyone who came close to the right person that I found all those years before."  She looked up at him again.  "I always just remind myself that Maddie is the most important person in my life and that she's enough."

 

"After everything that had happened, my mother use to make me feel stronger," Oliver confided.  "She'd give me advice and pep talks.  She was the only person who made me feel better after you went away to London…  I just don't know what to think anymore."

 

"I am sorry about your mother, Oliver."

 

"She didn't like you very much."

 

"No, but then my mother didn't love you either."

 

"We were different people," Oliver said.  

 

Felicity nodded.  "And now we're even more different."

 

"Everything went wrong when we decided to let other people dictate what our lives should look like."  He was quiet for a moment.  "Maybe I can talk to Laurel.  Maybe that isn't going to happen.  I don't know.  All I know is that you're right.  We have two beautiful girls that are obviously too smart for our own good...and one of them I haven't taken the time to get to know."

 

"Madelyn really is different from Mackenzie."

 

"I found that out," Oliver said with a short laugh.  "But I want another chance with her, hopefully she'll allow it."

 

Madelyn looked over at Mackenzie.  "What are we going to do?" she asked in a whisper.

 

"They're not fighting," Kenzi pointed out.

 

That was true.

 

Looking back at them, she sighed, this was something that she'd thought about seeing before...both of her parents together.  It was something that she never thought would happen.  Maybe she had been hard on Oliver, but she couldn't help it...Laurel was awful as far as she was concerned.  She wanted her father to be happy, but not at her expense.  "But you can't transport the vineyard to London...and Mom's jobs are mainly all in the UK or on _ that  _ side of the world."  She frowned deeply.  "I don't want to lose you now, Kenz."

 

"You're not going to!"

 

Madelyn reached out and took her twin's hand before looking over to watch their parents.  "We should get back to the house before someone comes looking for us and finds us spying."

 

"I was going to consider it recon," Mackenzie said with a smile and a shrug.  

 

Rolling her eyes and then shaking her head, Madelyn reluctantly moved away from where they'd been hiding and headed back towards the house with Mackenzie.  Whatever was going to be discussed, she was just glad that it would be done together (or so that's what they'd heard).  Madelyn just couldn't think of a way out of it right now, how to make it work right.  

  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
  


It was so odd to have their parents sitting next to each other.  Her father was dressed in plaid and jeans while her mother looks absolutely stunning in her dress, like she'd stepped out of a fashion magazine.  Even though she was looking at them, it was clear to see that their worlds weren't ones that aligned often.  The look on their faces, though, was what was killing Kenzi and making her regret the switch.  They both looked like they'd been told that someone they loved died...and Kenzi only knew that look because her father was making the same face that he had when he'd been told that her grandmother had died.  

 

The future didn't feel happy.

 

This was going to suck so much. 

 

Sara was standing with her arms crossed, sort of staring out the window, while Diggle seemed to be guarding the door.  Everyone else had been forced to take a walk apparently.  They had been left alone, not even Speedy was in sight.  

 

"It seems like a _ lifetime _ ago," her dad spoke up quietly and so sadly.  "We were  _ so _ young…"  He went quiet and that's when Kenzi noticed something she hadn't before.  Not only were her parents sitting together, but they were holding hands.  "We made decisions that were selfish at the time…"

 

"We were so consumed in that time...in the chaos and the upset and what felt like a war...and that's not what either of us wanted you raised in," Felicity added.  "The choices we made...they were selfish, but they had the best of intentions…  We didn't want either of you raised in that kind of constant battling...and I think," she said as she looked to Oliver for a moment and then back to the girls.  "I think that we did that, but at the same time...we fully recognize that we robbed you both of something...of growing up together…"

 

"And of having another parent," Oliver said.  "How this all happened...this was never how we would have wanted the truth to come out...for you two to meet and for us to meet the daughter we never knew...and only dreamed of."

 

Kenzi reached out and took her sister's hand.  This was an apology and somewhat of an explanation that she'd never expected to hear.  For your parents to flat out tell you that they knew what they were doing all those years ago was selfish, that was both good and hard to hear.  One thing they had right, though, her life had been one of little upset (for the most part).  There had been no fighting.  She'd had a doting father, a super awesome aunt, a grandmother that had showered her with love and gifts for as long as she'd been around, and she'd had the most wonderful friend and person closest to a mother in her life in Sara.  

 

From what she knew of life in London, Maddie had had it pretty good too.  She had a mother who was always home and was absolutely amazing.  Sure, their clothes were a little different, but they were still awesome.  Donna was amazing and she'd obviously adored Maddie.  Then there was Diggle who was like some kind of male version of Sara...because they could both play the parent role and they were both basically like jedi masters.  

 

Life hadn't been so bad after all.

 

That still didn't mean that they didn't want more now.  Kenzi didn't want to give up her mother or her twin.  Now that she had a twin sister, she wanted to be able to share everything that she'd never gotten to share with her before…  They'd never gotten to finish each other's sentences, argue over stupid things, fight about who's clothes the other was wearing, or anything else she knew that kids with siblings and twins did.  There was obviously a clear gap in life experiences.

 

"What are we going to do now?" Maddie asked ever so beautifully and quietly.

 

It was the accent, Kenzi decided.  She wondered what occasions her twin decided to turn it off because she knew that she could.  "You can't just separate all of us...living separate lives just is not going to fly…"

 

"Well, we're going to have to figure that out," Oliver said calmly.  "But we  _ have _ been living two very separate lives…"

 

"The girls could spend part of the year with me," Felicity offered, though clearly unsure and hesitant about the idea.  "But I think that still complicates things…"

 

"That's sending them to two different schools every year," Sara pointed out.  "And in different countries."

 

That was definitely something that Kenzi didn't want to do.  She didn't know how they were going to make this work, but that didn't seem like a good plan.   Either way, it seemed like someone was going to have to give up something.  Kenzi just wasn't thrilled by the idea of spending the first half of the year in London and coming back after Christmas to figuring out how to make life work in Walla Walla at her normal school...but she knew she also definitely didn't want to be home schooled.

 

"You know, Felicity...you could technically work anywhere in the world," Diggle spoke up.

 

And he was right.

 

Though their mother consulted in person, most of her work could be done from the comfort of her own computer chair at home.  She could be like a normal person and take a business trip, she knew that she'd done that in the past.  Her twin's passport had way more stamps to other countries than hers had.  

 

"But I like London," Maddie complained.

 

Kenzi turned to glare at her twin.  "Well, I like the vineyard…"

 

"Well, we're going to have to figure out a compromise," Oliver told them both.  "Or else things will just have to go back to how they have been."

 

She just stared at her twin, unsure how they could make this all work.  

 

Could they?

 

Or was this a losing battle?

  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
  


**Christmas**

  
  


Never in her life had Kenzi pictured herself where she was currently and never had she thought that she could be so happy and content with life.  She didn't want more, she was happy with exactly what they had.  

 

Life had changed.

 

It had found a way.

 

"It's snowing!" Kenzi shouted as she stood at the window with hot chocolate in hand and Speedy at her side.  It wasn't like it was a new concept to her, but it was different.  This place was different and they were some place new.  

 

"Well, of course it's snowing, silly!" Maddie told her twin as she joined her.  "It's Christmas!"

 

It had taken them months of going back and forth to figure out what was going to work the best.  Behind everyone's backs, their parents had plotted to find the best and most perfect solution to their predicament.  Green Arrow Vineyards still stood in Walla Walla, but her father had gotten someone else to take charge of it in their absence, but it was arranged so that they could vacation there at times.  The house in London was being rented out to someone that their mother knew and worked with sometimes.  None of those places were needed except perhaps for vacationing now.  

 

They had a new home.

 

Now they lived together on the new Green Arrow Vineyards in Wales.  Her father hadn't wanted to give up the bit of country he could have that was something that gave him purpose, something that he'd found that he was actually good at...and Felicity and Maddie hadn't wanted to let go of London.  Though Wales wasn't London, it was closer than Walla Walla.  As much as she hadn't been sure about it at first, it was quite the move, Kenzi had fallen in love with it nearly immediately.

 

She and her father lived in the main house with her mother, sister, Sara, and Diggle.  The guest house was used for when Nan and Quentin came to visit.  There were talks of building two other small houses in the property, so that Diggle and Sara could have their own respective homes.  

 

Really, though, none of it mattered except they were together.  

 

All of them.

 

"Are we going to have breakfast anytime soon?" she heard Quentin complain from behind.  

 

When she turned, she couldn't help but smile at the grand Christmas tree they had that was fully decorated and reaching up towards the ceiling.  "We're waiting on Nan," Kenzi replied brightly.

 

"Oh...and Digg...he went out and hasn't returned quite yet," Maddie added a moment later.

 

"Yeah, well I need my coffee," Quentin grumbled.

 

Nan was there behind him as he turned, dressed in a revealing red dress with her hair and makeup perfectly done.  "Oh, Quentin...the coffee's been ready since you woke.  The thing is on a timer," she informed him far too brightly.  Before she let him pass by though, she pointed upwards to where a mistletoe hung.  She didn't seem to wait for him to say anything and just kissed him.

 

"Oh!  Eww!  There are people watching!" Kenzi exclaimed as she covered her eyes.  

 

The bell rung a moment later and the twins pushed their way past Nan and Quentin to see who it was.  It had to be Diggle because he was the only one out as far as Kenzi was concerned.  Their parents were there opening the door before they could even get to it.  Kenzi was confused at the exact reason why her sister was making a high pitched screech sound, but she soon hugged the woman Diggle had brought with him.  

 

"Thank you for having me," the woman said and seemed not to be too fazed by Maddie's spaz attack.

 

"It's so good to meet you in person, Lyla," Felicity said and hugged her.  "Happy Christmas."

 

"Merry Christmas."

 

Instead of moving towards the kitchen, though, everyone moved back to the living room where the tree was and where they found Quentin and Nan making out.  Kenzi was fairly sure that she wasn't going to be able to get any of these far too intimate images out of her brain anytime soon.  

 

Then it happened again!

 

Lyla and Diggle had noticed the mistletoe.  Kenzi was about ready to die from all of the public displays of affection and as she glanced over at her twin, she just seemed to melt at that display.  When she looked back over her shoulder as her parents followed, it struck her that they seemed different.

 

Moving in together...all of them, it had been a challenge.  Luckily the house was large enough and there were enough bathrooms that that didn't become another challenge all on its own.  But things had taken time to get used to, but there they were.  Her father dressed in a suit with a festive tie while her mother was wearing a dark green dress and her hair was curled.  That wasn't what had caught her eye though.  It hadn't even been the way that they had smiled, it had been that they were holding hands and they were walking closely together.  She looked over to see that somehow Sara had snuck in, too, likely in from the kitchen.  She was hugging her dad and seemed to be introducing herself to Lyla.  Even her Aunt Thea seemed to know who Lyla was.

 

Kenzi felt so confused that everyone seemed to know who Lyla was.

 

"Who--" Kenzi went to ask as she looked back, but found her parents both kissing under the mistletoe.  Instead of covering her eyes or 'eww'-ing in response, though, she just stared at them, wide eyed, and with her jaw dropping.  "Well, Merry Christmas…"

  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
  


The End.

 


End file.
